MAY  31  191R 


J^rtloft        .A  81  2 


KINGDOM  OF  GOD  SERIES 


Studies  in  the  development  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
for  use  consecutively  or  as  independent  units. 


The  Religion  of  Israel 

Twenty-six  lessons. 

The  Religion  of  Judah 

Twenty-six  lessons. 
In  press 

The  Life  of  Jesus 

Twenty-six  lessons. 
The  Teachings  of  Jesas 

Twenty-six  lessons. 


By  John  Bayne  Ascham 
By  John  Bayne  Ascham 

By  Harris  Franklin  Rail 
By  Harris  Franklin  Rail 


The  Kingdom  of  God  Since  the  Time  of  Christ 

In  preparation  By  John  Bayne  Ascham 


The  Christian  Hope 

In  preparation. 


By  Harris  Franklin  Rail 


Teacher's  Manuals 

For  each  unit,  ready  or  in  preparation. 


KINGDOM  OF  GOD  SERIES 

Edited  by 
Henry  H.  Meyer  and  David  G.  Downey 


The  Religion  of  Israel 


BY 

JOHN  BAYNE  ASCHAM 


V''  '<■ 


^/ 


MAY  31  191R 

A.  ^ 


THE  ABINGDON  PRESS 

NEW  YORK  CINCINNATI 


Copyright,  1918,  by 
JOHN  BAYNE  ASCHAM 


The  Bible  text  used  in  this  book  is  taken  from  the  American  Standard  Eldition 
of  the  Revised  Bible,  copyright,  1901,  by  Thomas  Nelson  &  Sons,  and  is  used  by 
permission. 


/7-/; 


CHAPTER 


I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 
XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 
XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 
XXIII. 
XXIV. 

XXV. 
XXVI. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Intboductiox 7 

A  Word  from  the  Author 9 

Suggestions  for  Study 12 

Israel  ajstd  the  Kingdom  of  God 13 

Man  in  the  Image  of  God 21 

Man's  Failure  and  Need  of  Assistance 27 

A  Kingdom  Pioneer 33 

A  Providential  Migration 40 

The  Hebrews  in  Egypt 47 

The  Deliverance  from  Egypt 54 

A  Covenant  People 60 

Moral  Forces  in  Nation-Building:    The  Moral 

Law  66 

Religious  Institutions  in  Nation-Building 75 

Physical    Factors     in     the    Development     of 

Israel's  Religion 83 

The  Kingdom  of  God  in  the  Time  of  the  Judges  .     92 

The  Divine  Patience  with  Israel 102 

The  Birth  of  the  Monarchy Ill 

The  Kingship  of  Saul 120 

King  David 130 

David,  Champion  of  Jehovah 139 

The  Monarchy  Under  Solomon 147 

Solomon's  and  Israel's  Religion 155 

The  Disruption  of  the  Kingdom 163 

A  Religious  Crisis  in  Israel 171 

The  Revolution  Under  Jehu 179 

The  Israel  Known  to  Amos  and  Hosea 188 

A  Prophet  of  Righteousness 198 

A  Prophet  of  Love 208 

Summary:  From  the  Birth  of  the  Monarchy  to 

THE  Fall  of  Samaria 219 

Index  to  Topics 229 

Index  of  Scripture  Passages 233 


INTEODUCTION 
"THY  KINGDOM  COME  ON  EARTH'' 

The  kingdom  of  God  does  not  complete  itself  in  the 
redemption  of  the  individual.  It  concludes  the  individual 
and  infinitely  more.  The  Kingdom  means  that  some  day 
science  and  society,  commerce  and  civics  and  letters  and 
trade  shall  be  sweetened,  purified,  and  uplifted  till  they 
are  in  happy  harmony  with  the  will  and  purpose  of  the 
divine  Father.  Only  so  can  there  be  anything  like  an  ade- 
quate answer  to  the  first  petition  of  our  Lord's  Prayer, 
"Thy  kingdom  come  and  thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is 
in  heaven.'' 

Jesus  clearly  intended  that  his  disciples  should  interest 
themselves  in  the  temporal  and  earthly  aspects  of  the 
heavenly  Father's  dominion  and  power.  They  are  to  pray 
for  the  coming  of  his  Kingdom,  and  the  accomplishment 
of  his  will  on  earth,  even  as  they  pray  for  daily  bread  or  for 
the  forgiveness  of  sin.  "Thy  kingdom  come.  Give  us  day 
by  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive  us  our  sins."  To  pray 
thus  sincerely  and  intelligently  presupposes  active  partici- 
pation in  the  working  program  of  the  Kingdom;  that  is, 
in  all  those  activities  making  for  that  transformation  and 
reconstruction  of  life  through  which  alone  individuals  and 
organized  society  can  be  brought  into  accord  with  the  will 
and  the  rule  of  God. 

Too  often  in  human  history  the  sharp  contrast  between 
actual  conditions  and  the  higher  demands  of  the  Christian 
ideal  has  discouraged  those  upon  whom  rested  the  responsi- 
bility for  making  that  ideal  real.  A  short-range  view  of  life 
has  obscured  the  actual  growth  of  the  Kingdom  which  the 
larger  perspective  of  history  reveals.  In  the  face  of  the 
overwhelming  preponderance  of  sin  and  selfishness  in  the 
world  the  Christian  Church  has  again  and  again  contented 
itself  with  snatching  as  many  brands  as  possible  from  the 

7 


8  INTEODUCTIOlSr 

burning,  without,  at  the  same  time,  seeking  to  organize  the 
constructive  forces  of  life  and  of  society  for  the  seemingly 
impossible  task  of  putting  out  the  conflagration.  Thus  the 
actual  process  of  the  Kingdom's  coming  among  men  has 
proceeded  for  the  most  part  "without  observation/'  like 
the  first  growth  of  the  seed  that  has  been  buried  in  the  soil. 

It  is  possible  to-day,  in  the  light  of  the  completed  records 
of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  and  the  subsequent  history 
of  the  Christian  centuries,  to  discover  definite  stages  of 
advance  with  successive  landmarks  of  progress  in  the  grad- 
ual establishment  of  the  reign  of  God  in  individual  lives 
and  in  the  institutions  of  mankind.  Such  a  survey  of 
progress  already  achieved  should  hearten  the  organized 
Christian  forces  in  their  forward  look  and  their  endeavor  to 
establish  still  more  firmly  among  men  the  principles  and 
ideals  of  the  Eangdom.  It  should  encourage  the  individual 
to  redouble  his  efforts  and  inspire  in  him  an  unfaltering 
confidence  in  the  ultimate  realization  and  triumph  of  God's 
rule.  Herein  lies  the  purpose  of  the  special  course  of  study 
in  the  Development  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  which  this 
volume  constitutes  one  textbook. 

Beginning  with  a  brief  consideration  of  the  funda- 
mentals of  religion  and  the  nature  of  man  and  of  Deity,  the 
studies  trace  the  development  of  religious  experience  and 
ideas  among  the  Hebrews  and  the  Jewish  people  down  to 
the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era.  This  early  period,  cover- 
ing the  development  of  the  Kingdom  in  Old  Testament 
times,  is  presented  in  two  volumes  of  twenty-six  study 
cliapters  each,  the  division  being  made  at  the  point  in  the 
historical  development  following  the  rise  of  eighth-century 
prophetism  and  the  fall  of  Samaria.  The  first  of  these 
periods  is  covered  by  this  volume,  "The  Religion  of  Israel/' 
The  second  is  dealt  with  in  ''The  Religion  of  Judah/*  In 
similar  manner  two  volumes  are  devoted  to  the  Life  and 
Teachings  of  Jesus  which  are  assumed  to  be  of  central 
importance  in  the  forward  and  upward  movement  of 
humanity. 

Subsequent  studies  present  in  two  volumes  a  survey  of 
the  Development  of  the  Kingdom  since  the  time  of  Christ, 


A  WOED  FROM  THE  AUTHOR  9 

including  a  discussion  of  those  social-religious  movements 
of  the  present  day,  the  support  and  inspiration  for  which 
are  to  be  found  primarily  in  the  Christian  conception  of 
God  and  the  world.  The  concluding  volume  of  the  series 
is  entitled  The  Christian  Hope  and  presents  in  construc- 
tive form  the  abiding  faith  of  the  Christian  fellowship  in 
the  final  triumph  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

It  is  confidently  expected  that  in  their  revised  form  these 
studies  will  serve  a  two-fold  purpose.  As  elective  courses 
for  adult  Bible  classes  interested  in  this  vital  and  most 
fascinating  of  all  studies,  their  usefulness  has  been  much 
enhanced.  At  the  same  time  they  are  intended  to  meet  the 
increasing  demand  for  modern  textbooks  written  in  schol- 
arly spirit  but  popular  style  for  preparatory  and  high 
schools  and  for  advanced  groups  in  week-day  religious  in- 
struction in  local  parishes.  That  they  are  admirably  suited 
for  either  purpose  will  be  evident  from  an  examination  of 
any  one  of  the  volumes  in  the  series. 

The  Editors. 

A  WORD  FROM  THE  AUTHOR 

"The  glorious  city  of  God  is  my  theme"  are  the  open- 
ing words  of  Augustine's  immortal  work  which  arose  out 
of  his  conviction  that  there  has  appeared  in  human  history 
"a  commonwealth  and  community  founded  and  governed 
by  God."  That  conviction  underlies  this  study  of  the 
religion  of  Israel  and  the  subsequent  volumes  of  this  series. 
Men  are  not  the  final  agents  of  human  progress  nor  the 
arbiters  of  human  destiny.  Our  human  will  roots  at  last 
in  the  will  of  God.  If  we  seek  and  learn  and  fulfill  his 
will,  our  life  becomes  safe,  beautiful,  and  rich  in  worth 
and  meaning.    We  become  members  of  God's  kingdom. 

This  volume  is  not  merely  an  historical  study.  To  know 
the  manner  in  which  our  fellow  men  of  any  race  or  cen- 
tury have  aspired  and  struggled  is  worthy  of  our  best 
efforts.  But  this  book  does  not  seek  merely  to  put  its 
readers  into  possession  of  certain  facts  of  Israel's  history. 
It  attempts,  by  whatever  light  it  throws  upon  the  struggles 


10  A  WOED  FEOM  THE  AUTHOR 

of  the  Hebrews,  to  arrive  at  the  goal  of  their  spiritual  long- 
ings, to  deepen  in  us  moderns  the  sense  of  the  reality  of 
the  life  of  the  spirit  and  to  make  clearer  the  way  of  our 
own  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

There  have  been  many  attempts  to  depict  the  ideal  so- 
ciety on  earth.  Plato's  Ideal  Republic,  Campanelli's  City 
of  the  Sun,  and  Moore's  Utopia  seek  the  perfect  social 
order  through  just  political  and  economic  relationships. 
Modern  theorists  and  idealists  pursue  the  same  methods. 
But  all  such  programs  do  not  touch  the  springs  of  human 
action.  Back  of  man  is  God.  Our  fundamental  relation- 
ship is  with  him.  His  will  alone  guarantees  a  satisfying 
and  enduring  social  order.  Until  we  seek  his  will  and  his 
will  is  fulfilled  in  the  individual  life,  and  the  institutions 
of  men,  there  will  issue  out  of  our  struggles  no  permanently 
worthy  and  substantial  state. 

Only  God  can  build  his  kingdom.  Yet  in  the  same  breath 
it  must  be  said,  only  God  and  ourselves,  for  we  are  build- 
ers with  him.  Through  our  dreams,  our  struggles,  our 
sacrifices  his  kingdom  comes.  It  is  our  loyalty  to  the  vision 
given  us  by  him  that  adds  new  territory  to  his  empire.  It 
is  our  devotion  to  the  ethical  tasks  assigned  us  by  the  very 
nature  of  human  society  by  which  he  conquers.  It  is  our 
will  resolutely  bringing  goodness  into  existence  through 
human  relationships  which  voices  his  will  in  the  affairs 
of  men. 

The  study  of  the  development  of  Israel's  religion  is 
exceedingly  valuable  for  us.  The  unique  social  fact  of 
history  is  the  Hebrew  realization  of  the  one  ethical  God. 
There  were  no  sacred  books  for  their  guidance.  There  was 
no  Christ  who  showed  them  the  way.  They  aspired  until 
God  unveiled  himself  to  them.  God  met  them  in  their 
own  souls.  They  and  God  had  business  together.  This 
immediate  life  with  God  is  the  soul  of  all  triumphant  re- 
ligion. To  study  attentively  the  development  of  Israel's 
religion  is  to  come  upon  the  secret  of  finding  God. 

John  Bayxe  Ascham. 


COPrRiGHT,   1906  AND  1912,   ST  CHARLES  FOSTER  KENT 


THE  UMITED  AND  DIVIDED  KINGDOMS 


SUGGESTIONS    FOR    STUDY 

It  is  best  to  read  the  chapter  without  stopping  to  consult 
the  biblical  references.  Such  consecutive  reading  will  indi- 
cate the  nature  and  purpose  of  the  lesson.  Next  reread  the 
chapter  carefully  and  examine  every  Old  Testament  passage 
to  which  reference  is  made.  The  Old  Testament  must  be  re- 
garded as  the  real  textbook  of  this  course  of  study.  The 
American  Revised  Version  should  be  used.  Prom  time  to  time 
questions  appear  in  the  discussion.  These  should  be  answered 
during  this  second  reading  of  the  chapter.  If  the  answers  to 
such  questions  are  written,  such  practice  will  add  much  to 
the  effectiveness  of  the  preparation. 

The  student  will  find  it  worth  while  to  write  answers  to  the 
themes  proposed  for  class  discussion.  The  use  of  a  notebook 
will  greatly  facilitate  the  preparation  of  the  lesson  and  will 
aid  in  the  preservation  of  the  results  of  study.  Space  should 
be  left  for  whatever  revision  class  discussion  may  suggest. 

The  references  for  additional  reading  are  important.  En- 
deavor to  read  in  connection  with  your  study  of  the  chapter 
at  least  one  of  the  selections  indicated.  You  will  not  only 
possess  a  broader  view  of  the  period  under  discussion:  you 
will  become  familiar  also  with  some  of  the  best  literature 
dealing  with  the  Old  Testament.  Make  brief  summaries  of 
such  reading  and  record  them  in  your  notebook. 

The  paragraphs  with  varying  captions  are  designed  to  sug- 
gest modern  devotional  and  social  applications  of  the  subject 
presented  in  the  biblical  material.  They  may  be  discussed 
in  class,  but  they  are  intended  also  as  themes  for  individual 
meditation.  These  paragraphs  are  to  be  built  into  the  struc- 
ture of  your  ideals. 

Review  frequently.  The  thirteenth  and  twenty-sixth  chap- 
ters in  large  measure  are  reviews.  But  a  constant  reference 
to  all  that  precedes  is  essential  to  the  best  understanding  of 
each  new  chapter.  Few  persons  learn  a  new  name  and  face 
at  a  moment's  attention.  Repetition  is  necessary  to  produce 
familiarity  and  to  transform  new  truths  into  old  friends. 

Constant  use  of  commentaries  and  Bible  dictionaries  is  de- 
sirable. An  excellent  series  of  commentaries  is  The  New  Cen- 
tury Bible.  The  books  of  the  Bible  in  this  series  may  be 
obtained  separately.  The  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  edited  by 
Hastings,  is  the  best  to  supplement  the  commentaries  here 
mentioned.   These  books  may  be  obtained  from  the  publishers. 

Endeavor  in  all  your  study  to  arrive  at  the  facts  of  the 
development  of  Israel's  religious  life.  It  is  believed  that  a 
correct  knowledge  of  the  progress  of  Israel  toward  ethical 
monotheism  and  its  realization  in  the  great  eighth-century 
prophets  will  make  an  inspiring  and  enduring  religious  impact 
upon  the  student's  own  life. 


CHAPTER  I 
ISRAEL  AND  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD 

All  nations  are  the  people  of  God.  In  every  land, 
through  every  race,  during  every  succeeding  century,  there 
have  been  movements  of  longing  and  aspiration  which  have 
made  for  higher  civilization.  In  every  such  aspect  of 
human  life  is  the  stirring  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  "For 
in  him  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being."  A  com- 
plete history  of  the  kingdom  of  God  would  be  a  universal 
history  of  mankind. 

For  an  account  of  the  more  noteworthy  struggles  toward 
higher  civilization  in  which  the  ethical  will  of  God  is 
most  clearly  discernible,  we  turn  first  to  the  Hebrew  peo- 
ple. Theirs  is  a  unique  place  in  religious  history.  The 
unity  and  the  ethical  holiness  of  God  were  apprehended 
among  them  first  of  all.  In  the  soul  of  their  leaders  the 
conviction  that  man  should  imitate  the  moral  character 
of  God  first  rose  to  commanding  authority.  It  was  their 
genius  to  live  so  responsively  to  each  revelation  of  the 
heavenly  Father  that  in  their  institutions  and  ideals  be- 
came embodied  the  finest  religious  conceptions  of  the  an- 
cient world.  They  found  an  ethical  Deity.  God  revealed 
himself  to  his  chosen  people.  Therefore  a  study  of  the 
development  of  the  kingdom  of  God  rightfully  begins  with 
the  Hebrew  people. 

The  Kingdom  of  God 

What  Is  Meant  by  tke  Kingdom. — In  these  studies  the 
kingdom  of  God  means  the  reign  of  God  in  the  individual 
life  and  in  the  institutions  of  mankind.  We  are  not  con- 
cerned here  with  the  conviction  that  nature  is  the  continu- 
ous product  of  God's  thought  and  will  and  that  her  laws  are 
his  habits.  This  inference  from  the  study  of  nature  has,  in- 
deed, much  religious  significance,  and  in  putting  it  aside 

13 


14  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

considerable  biblical  material  becomes  unusable.  But  the 
rule  of  God  in  nature  is  not  the  kingdom  of  our  dreams 
nor  one  in  whose  development  a  moral  significance  lies. 

Man  ever  carries  with  him  the  sense  of  freedom  and 
necessity.  In  his  physical  life  man  seems  the  creature  of 
forces  beyond  himself.  In  hunger,  weariness,  pain,  and 
death;  in  inheritance  of  color,  sex,  and  nervous  organism, 
and  in  the  social  influences  of  childhood,  man  is  continually 
aware  of  molding  forces  over  which  his  adult  will  has  slight 
control.  In  these  affairs  he  is  the  product  of  life-energies 
other  than  his  own  rather  than  the  maker  of  his  destiny. 
We  believe  that  God  is  here  the  director  of  human  events, 
but  it  is  not  this  mechanical  response  to  his  will  which 
is  now  our  concern. 

It  is,  rather,  in  the  realm  of  human  freedom  that  the 
kingdom  of  God  takes  on  significance.  Here  in  this  life 
of  human  passion,  choice,  and  deed,  if  the  will  of  another 
Being  is  obeyed,  and  through  man's  allegiance  to  the 
larger  will  different  ideals  and  conduct  result,  these  changes 
in  human  affairs  become  the  most  significant  events  in 
mankind's  progress.  So  the  kingdom  of  God  means  for 
us  the  strange,  wonderful  fact  that  into  our  life  of  thought 
and  love  and  will  there  enters  the  quickening  authority 
of  One  whose  life  is  incomparably  richer  than  ours  and 
whose  presence  in  human  life  is  the  opportunity  and 
energy  of  man's  rise  to  the  moral  grandeur  of  God. 

The  Development  of  this  Kingdom. — If  the  kingdom  of 
God  is  the  rule  of  God  in  the  soul  of  man,  how  can  there 
be  a  development  of  such  a  Kingdom? 

Eirst  there  can  be  a  development  in  the  nature  of  the 
Ruler's  authority.  It  is  to  be  expected  that  primitive 
peoples  should  hold  a  conception  of  the  right  of  Deity  to 
rule  in  human  affairs  different  from  the  convictions  of  a 
Christian  mind.  It  is  a  far  cry  from  the  obedience  of  an 
ancestor  of  Abraham,  who  felt  himself  coerced  by  the 
physical  power  of  his  God,  to  the  responses  which  a  Christ- 
instructed  soul  makes  to  the  love  and  righteousness  of  his 
heavenly  Father.  The  journey  from  physical  coercion  to 
moral  comradeship  is  development. 


ISRAEL  AND  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD       15 

In  the  second  place,  the  history  of  religion  shows  that 
there  have  come  to  man  through  the  centuries  more  desir- 
able conceptions  of  the  character  of  God.  The  Bible  bears 
abundant  witness  to  these  helpful  changes  of  man's  views 
of  the  nature  of  God.  A  single  instance  makes  this  clear. 
Compare  the  naive  notions  of  Deity  underlying  Exodus 
20.  24-26  with  the  exalted  truths  in  John  4.  21-24.  In 
the  early  legislation  of  Exodus  20  worship  culminates  in 
the  sacrifice  of  animals  upon  an  altar  of  earth.  If  a  stone 
altar  is  used,  no  chisel  or  hammer  must  have  blocked  it 
into  shape.  Here  God  is  thought  to  be  greatly  concerned 
about  animal  sacrifices  and  ritualistic  forms.  In  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Master  such  sacrifices  are  worse  than  useless. 
God  is  a  Spirit  and  the  poured-out  blood  and  burning  fat 
of  sheep  and  oxen  never  could  voice  the  spiritual  fellowship 
in  which  true  worship  must  come  to  lie.  For  Jesus  altars 
and  temples  have  lost  their  sanctity  and  the  soul  of  man 
is  free  to  erect  everywhere  a  shrine.  This  is  progress.  The 
Fifty-first  Psalm  sharply  contrasts  the  Deity  who  loves 
the  smell  of  sacrifice  and  the  Deity  who  yearns  for  the 
loving  fellowship  of  man. 

^Tor  thou  delightest  not  in  sacrifice ;  else  would  I  give  it : 
Thou  hast  no  pleasure  in  burnt-offering. 
The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit : 
A  broken  and  a  contrite  heart,  0  God,  thou  wilt  not 
despise.^' 

With  this  aspect  of  the  Kingdom  and  its  development 
these  studies  are  concerned.  A  second  aspect  of  develop- 
ment arises  when  the  Kingdom's  ideal  has  come  in  Jesus. 
We  may  think  of  the  kingdom  of  God  as  Christ's  kingdom, 
for  it  was  he  who  gave  the  Kingdom  its  fullest  meaning, 
its  strength,  and  its  beauty.  Since  he  passed,  leaving  his 
glorious  ideal  with  men,  it  has  been  the  task  of  his  disci- 
ples to  understand  his  ideal  and  to  extend  it  to  wider 
areas  of  human  life.  This  process  is  not  ended.  It  has 
gone  far  enough  to  show  how  sharp  is  the  cleavage,  not 
only  in  pagan  but  also  in  Christian  lands,  between  the 
things  which  are  and  the  things  which  ought  to  be. 


16  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

In  this  study,  then,  of  the  development  of  the  kingdom 
of  God  we  shall  see  the  unfolding  of  new  meanings  and 
new  triumphs  of  the  reign  of  God  in  the  life  of  man.  It 
will  appear  that  religion  has  been  enriched,  and  through 
religion  civilization  has  been  enriched,  by  more  ennobling 
ideas  of  the  nature  of  God ;  that  along  with  these  finer  con- 
ceptions of  Deity  have  come  new  trust  and  new  fellowship 
in  the  life  of  the  Spirit  and  new  moral  ideals  to  give  zest 
and  strength  to  life.  Into  the  life  of  each  one  who  gains 
this  vision  of  the  successive  advances  of  religion  will  come 
new  elation  and  new  certainty  of  soul. 

The  Unique  Consciousness  of  Iskael 

Eead  Judges  5.  3-5, 11, 13,  23,  31.  This  song  of  Deborah 
is  probably  the  oldest  portion  of  Old  Testament  literature. 
Observe  that  Jehovah  is  the  God  of  Israel  and  that  the 
enemies  of  Israel  and  the  battles  of  Israel  are  Jehovah's 
battles  and  Jehovah's  enemies. 

Eead  Deuteronomy  32.  8-14.  The  noble  beauty  of  this 
poem  is  felt  by  every  student.  Observe  the  statement  in 
verse  8  that,  although  Jehovah  determines  the  destiny  of 
other  peoples,  the  Hebrews  are  peculiarly  his  own.  Other 
nations  have  their  deities,  verse  31,  but  every  nation  recog- 
nizes the  superior  character  of  Jehovah.  See  the  fine  sum- 
mary, in  verses  10-14,  of  the  lonely  helplessness  of  Israel 
in  the  wilderness  where  Jehovah  found  them  and  chose 
them  for  his  people  and  whence  he  led  them  into  Canaan 
to  enjoy  rich  pasturages,  grain-fields,  and  vineyards. 

Eead  Isaiah  42.  5-8.  Here  Jehovah  speaks  to  Israel 
through  his  prophet.  Israel  has  been  chosen  for  a  great 
commission.  Observe  in  verse  6  the  deep  consciousness  of 
Jehovah's  choice  of  Israel  for  a  great  destiny.  What  is 
Israel's  mission? 

Eead  Acts  7.  2-53.  With  what  event  does  Stephen  begin 
the  history  of  Israel?  What  persons  are  prominent  in  his 
narrative?  Notice  the  omissions  in  the  history.  Consider 
his  accusation  (verse  51)  that  Jehovah  had  been  withstood 
by  his  people,  and  then  understand  how  keen  was  the 


ISEAEL  AND  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD       17 

sense,  not  only  in  men  like  Stephen,  but  also  in  Jews  who 
saw  no  Messiahship  in  Jesus,  that  the  nation  was  a  chosen 
people  from  its  earliest  history.  What  are  the  chief  events 
of  this  on-moving  purpose  of  God  according  to  Stephen's 
summary?  Fill  in  the  important  historical  events  of  reli- 
gious significance  which  Stephen  omits  in  the  history  of 
Israel. 

The  Kingdom  of  God  Unfolding  Through  Israel 

God's  Choice  of  Israel. — The  historical  narratives  and 
the  religious  consciousness  of  Israel  alike  witness  to  the 
unique  origin  of  Hebrew  religion.  The  poem  now  found 
in  Deuteronomy  32  states  the  true  account  of  the  origin 
of  Israel's  relations  with  Jehovah.  Later  lessons  will  show 
that  whatever  may  have  been  the  worship  of  the  patriarchal 
age,  it  was  not  until  the  Hebrews  escaped  from  Egypt  and 
encamped  at  Sinai  that  they  entered  into  their  covenant 
to  worship  Jehovah.  They  felt  truly  that  Jehovah  found 
them  in  the  wilderness.  In  their  extremity  of  weakness 
he  chose  them  for  his  people  and  revealed  unto  them  his 
will. 

The  Mission  of  Israel. — Why  did  Jehovah  choose  Israel  ? 
In  the  earlier  periods  of  Hebrew  history  the  relation  of 
Israel  to  Jehovah  was  conceived  by  the  people  as  a  covenant. 
Jehovah's  choice  of  Israel  was  to  be  mutually  advantageous. 
Jehovah  would  have  a  people  to  fight  his  battles.  Judges 
5.  2,  3,  31.  He  would  have  also  an  important  nation  to 
worship  him.  Chapter  9  indicates  that  our  earliest 
extant  group  of  Ten  Commandments  are  concerned  almost 
wholly  with  the  worship  rights  of  Jehovah.  It  is  a  com- 
mon early  Semitic  conception  that  the  gods  desire  wor- 
shipers. It  is  quite  probable  that  the  leading  motive  of 
Jehovah  in  his  choice  of  Israel,  as  this  choice  was  conceived 
by  the  people  in  the  wilderness,  was  his  desire  for  wor- 
shipers. 

Time  passed  and  life  broadened.  Under  Jehovah's  con- 
tinual guidance  the  leaders  of  the  people  came  to  know  a 
higher  reason  for  Jehovah's  gracious  favor. 


18  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

"Behold,  my  servant,  whom  I  uphold ; 
My  chosen,  in  whom  my  soul  delighteth : 
I  have  put  my  spirit  upon  him ; 
He  will  bring  forth  justice  to  the  Gentiles." 

The  whole  of  this  beautiful  message,  Isaiah  42.  1-9,  should 
be  read.  Here  dawns  a  new  conception  of  Jehovah's  choice 
of  Israel.  He  has  chosen  them  to  be  his  missionaries  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth. 

Still  another  explanation  of  God's  choice  of  Israel  ap- 
pears among  the  Jews  who  became  adherents  of  Chris- 
tianity in  the  apostolic  age.  The  sermon  of  Peter  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost  and  the  reply  of  Stephen  to  his  accusers 
both  indicate  their  feeling  that  the  long  history  of  Israel's 
unique  relation  to  God  had  been  that  the  Jewish  people 
might  cradle  his  Christ.  This  too  was  the  conception  of 
his  people's  history  held  by  Paul.  "When  the  fullness 
of  the  time  came,  God  sent  forth  his  Son."  Those  Jews 
who  came  to  take  Jesus  for  their  Christ  saw  in  him  the 
explanation  of  their  unique  history. 

The  Coming  Kingdom 

We  begin  this  series  of  lessons  with  two  fundamental 
ideas :  ( 1 )  The  kingdom  of  God — the  reign  of  God  in  the 
life  of  man — has  a  history.  (2)  The  earliest  significant 
chapters  of  this  history  were  written  in  the  extraordinary 
experience  of  Israel;  a  people  from  whose  life  there  never 
faded  the  consciousness  of  their  covenanting  Deity.  Other 
nations  served  their  gods  because  they  knew  no  other.  They 
were  the  gods  of  the  clan  and  the  land.  But  Israel's  wor- 
ship was  based  on  a  choice.  Jehovah  had  chosen  and  the 
people  had  chosen,  and  this  was  an  ethical  relation  through 
which  alone  the  kingdom  of  God  could  come. 

The  Song  of  Deborah  and  the  speech  of  Stephen  are 
separated  by  nearly  twelve  centuries.  It  seems  incredible 
that  a  people  could  endure  the  change  of  its  religion  from 
beliefs  which  centered  in  a  tribal  God  to  belief  in  a  uni- 
versal Father.  Yet  this  mighty  revolution  took  place  in 
Palestine  within  the  bounds  of  Israel.    It  has  taken  place 


ISRAEL  AND  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD       19 

nowhere  else  on  earth.  This  is  evidence  enough  that  God 
was  in  the  unique  consciousness  of  the  Hebrew  people. 
It  is  this  consciousness  of  covenant  with  Jehovah  which 
explains  Israel.  Without  it  we  could  not  talk  of  a  develop- 
ment of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

The  Soul  of  Religion" 

All  True  Religion  Has  a  History. — Religion  is  life.  Life 
is  never  static  but  always  changing.  Religion  is  an  un- 
broken experience  of  God.  Experience  constantly  grows 
into  something  different.  If  it  be  remembered  that  IsraePs 
beliefs  were  bounded  on  the  one  side  by  the  ethicless  reli- 
gion of  Babylonia  and  on  the  other  side  by  the  moral 
grandeur  of  Jesus,  it  must  appear  that  long  strides  have 
been  made  within  Hebrew  thought  during  the  intervening 
centuries.  The  individual's  religion,  like  the  Hebrew  peo- 
ple's, should  be  endlessly  changing.  Earnest  study,  con- 
stant longing,  and  loving  service  will  transform  anyone's 
religion  into  finer  meanings  and  expressions.  It  is  possible 
to  write  the  history  of  every  truly  religious  life.  Such  a 
life  cannot  be  stationary  either  in  the  intellectual  concep- 
tions of  religion  or  in  the  practical  manifestations  of  the 
religious  spirit. 

Covenant  Religion. — Covenant  in  some  form  runs 
through  all  abiding  religion.  Religion  is  fellowship  and 
fellowship  roots  in  the  sense  of  mutual  loyalty  and  service. 
It  is  by  vows — by  the  most  sacred  assumption  of  duties 
anl  loyalties  in  relation  to  loved  ones,  friends,  humanity, 
and  God — that  we  escape  from  a  mean  and  petty  existence 
into  great  living.  All  the  world's  broken  engagements 
cannot  take  away  the  fact  that  a  solemnly  undertaken  cove- 
nant is  the  soul's  way  of  girding  itself  for  heroic  achieve- 
ment. It  is  only  by  the  deliberate  choice  registered  by 
the  most  solemn  asseveration  of  which  we  are  capable  that 
we  cling  steadfastly  to  the  purposes  which  gleam  within 
us  in  our  exalted  hours. 

Living  With  God. — It  is  the  goal  of  civilization  to  turn 
mankind's  dreary  deserts  into  luxuriant  gardens  of  peace 
and  prosperity.    No  one  who  reflects  upon  the  life  of  our 


20  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISKAEL 

times  can  fail  to  see  the  wretched  wastes  waiting  to  be 
transformed.  War,  drunkenness,  prostitution,  and  the 
greed  for  wealth  which,  fastening  upon  the  miseries  of  the 
poor,  curses  every  society  where  it  is  tolerated,  have  blighted 
far-reaching  stretches  of  the  affairs  of  men.  If  we  believe  in 
God,  certainly  we  must  feel  that  we  are  not  availing  our- 
selves of  the  resources  at  hand  in  him.  In  the  course  of 
nameless  centuries  God  has  brought  into  being  on  this 
earth  a  personal  life  imaged  after  his  own.  All  further 
human  progress  is  cooperative  creation.  The  creature  has 
been  exalted  into  partnership  with  the  creator.  To  achieve 
his  destiny  man  no  longer  can  be  the  blind  product  of 
forces  beyond  himself,  nor  can  he  work  alone.  He  must 
choose  his  way  and  seek  diligently  the  high  fellowship  of 
God.    In  such  partnership  alone  all  future  progress  lies. 

Questions  for  Class  Discussion 

1.  What  is  to  be  understood  by  the  phrase,  the  kingdom  of 
God? 

2.  What  conceptions  of  man's  moral  and  intellectual  nature 
make  possible  the  existence  and  the  development  of  this  King- 
dom? 

3.  Why  may  a  study  of  the  kingdom  of  God  so  profitably  be 
limited,  in  pre-Christian  centuries,  to  the  life  of  the  Hebrew 
people? 

4.  In  what  ways  has  there  been  a  development  of  the  king- 
dom of  God? 

5.  What  was  the  development  of  Israel's  conception  of  her 
Messiah? 

6.  How  are  we  to  account  for  Israel's  consciousness  of  her 
peculiar  relation  to  Jehovah?  How  shall  we  explain  the  per- 
sistence of  this  belief  through  every  national  calamity? 

7.  Why  must  all  true  religion  furnish  material  for  history? 

8.  To  what  extent  does  the  idea  of  covenant  govern  religious 
life? 

9.  What  agencies  are  essential  to  the  development  of  God's 
kingdom? 

Suggested  Readings 

Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bille,  Volume  II,  pp.  844-848. 

Davidson,  Theology  of  the  Old  Testament,  pp.  1-4. 

G.  A.  Smith,  Modern  Criticism  and  the  Preaching  of  the 
Old  Testament,  Chapter  IV. 

Encyclopedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics.  Article,  "Kingdom  of 
God." 


CHAPTER  II 
MAN  IN  THE  IMAGE  OF  GOD 

The  previous  chapter  dealt  with  the  fact  of  a  develop- 
ing kingdom  of  God  and  the  unique  relation  of  Israel  to 
that  Kingdom.  In  addition  to  Israel's  consciousness  of 
being  a  chosen  people  there  were  other  ideas  held  by  them 
which  are  fundamental  to  the  realization  of  the  kingdom 
of  God.  One  of  these  is  that  the  essential  nature  of  man 
is  such  that  he  can  enter  and  is  destined  to  enter  into 
fellowship  with  God.  This  lesson  shows  that  this  concep- 
tion of  man  is  a  fundamental  part  of  Israel's  religious 
consciousness,  and  is  essential  to  the  progress  of  the  King- 
dom. 

The  Hebrew  Conception  of  Man 

The  Creation  of  Man. — The  earliest  narrative  in  the  Old 
Testament  concerning  man's  origin  is  found  in  Genesis 
2.  4-8,  18-25.  According  to  this  account  man  was  created 
before  plants  and  animals  appeared  on  the  earth.  Jehovah 
himself  fashioned  some  of  the  ground  or  soil  into  a  human 
body.  After  this  was  done  he  breathed  or  blew  into  man's 
nostrils  the  breath  of  life,  and  man  became  a  living  being. 
Then  vegetation  was  created.  The  appearance  of  plants 
and  trees  was  followed  by  the  creation  of  animals.  Then 
comes  the  creation  of  w^oman  to  be  the  ideal  consort  of  man. 

Man  in  God's  Image. — A  later  account  of  the  origin  of 
man  is  recorded  in  Genesis  1.  26-30.  In  this  narrative  the 
creation  of  man  is  placed  at  the  end  of  a  series  of  creative 
acts.  The  acts  of  creation  were  distributed  among  six 
days.     These  are  as  follows: 

First  Day.  The  creation  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
and  of  day  and  night.. 

Second  Day.  The  creation  of  a  firmament,  that  is,  the 
solid  sky. 

21 


22  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

Third  Day.  Arrangement  of  sea  and  land.  Vegetation 
appears. 

Fourth  Day.    Sun,  moon,  and  stars. 

Fifth  Day.    Fishes  and  birds. 

Sixth  Day.    Land  animals  of  all  kinds.    Man. 

Read  the  verses  again,  Genesis  1.  26,  27,  which  state  that 
man  is  the  image  of  God  and  observe  that  by  virtue  of  his 
likeness  to  God  man  becomes  the  ruler  of  the  animal  world. 

Read  Psalm  8  and  observe  that  the  author  of  this  splen- 
did poem,  although  he  realizes  the  glory  of  the  created 
earth  and  skies,  feels  also  the  inherent  greatness  of  man. 
He  is  God's  nearest  kinsman  and  rules  the  earth  as  his 
representative. 

Fellowship  with  God. — Read  Hosea  2.  14-20.  In  these 
verses  Hosea  likens  the  relation  of  Israel  and  Jehovah  to 
the  fellowship  of  wife  and  husband.  He  declares  that  the 
nation  is  inherently  capable  of  entering  into  the  most 
intimate  personal  fellowship  with  God.  "I  will  betroth 
thee  unto  me  forever"  is  the  Divine  promise  to  Israel.  It 
is  through  such  intimate  relationship  that  the  golden  age 
is  to  come. 

Man  and  the  Kingdom 

The  Nature  of  Man. — It  is  no  accident  that  the  earliest 
written  narratives  of  the  Old  Testament  begin  with  an 
account  of  the  origin  and  the  nature  of  man.  Man  must 
hold  a  worthy  conception  of  his  own  nature  in  order  to 
take  his  true  place  in  the  universe.  Before  Genesis  was 
written  men  had  pondered  these  profound  questions. 
Many  a  Hebrew  and  Chaldean  shepherd  meditated  upon 
the  world's  mystery  when  their  black  tents  dwindled  be- 
neath the  nightly  majesty  of  a  sky  of  stars.  The  mystery 
and  the  majesty  of  the  stars  deepened  within  them  the 
sense  of  their  own  frailty.  Beside  their  calm  and  endless 
journeys  man's  brief  course  seemed  pitiably  meager  and 
tragical.  These  shepherds  could  not  but  raise  the  ques- 
tion of  their  life's  meaning  when  night  threw  her  sable 
mantle  over  the  wells,  the  hill-pastures,  and  the  bleating 
flocks,  and  drew  aside  the  curtains  of  the  shining  heavens, 


MAN  IN  THE  IMAGE  OF  GOD  23 

beneath  whose  illimitable  splendor  the  world  of  daylight 
grew  so  small.  Standing  at  their  tent  doors,  with  all  the 
majestic  glory  beating  in  their  faces,  they  could  but  won- 
der whether  this  upper  sky  of  God  held  aught  for  them, 
and  they  tremblingly  raised  the  question  of  their  own 
meaning  and  place  in  the  world. 

What  was  the  answer  ?  The  universe  is  a  personal  uni- 
verse. Its  fundamental  reality  is  not  the  visible  and  the 
tangible.  The  stars  are  not  to  abash  man  forever.  The 
avalanche  may  crush  him,  the  earthquake  swallow  him,  the 
tornado  dash  him  to  pieces,  and  the  sun  mercilessly  pierce 
him  with  its  heat,  but  they  have  not  destroyed  man.  They 
have  made  him  great  through  their  cruelty  and  antagonism. 
The  universe  is  something  more  than  planets  and  suns.  It 
is  made  up  of  persons.  God  and  his  children  constitute 
the  universe.  All  else  is  theater  for  their  action,  tools 
for  the  expression  of  their  intelligence  and  goodness, 
temporary  stages  in  the  development  of  their  fellowship. 
Man  bears  God's  image.  All  that  makes  up  his  personal 
life — his  motives  and  choices,  loves  and  aversions,  hopes 
and  fears — is  the  sign  of  his  kinship  with  God.  Man  is 
not  the  chance  product  of  a  chance  world ;  he  is  the  result 
of  a  deliberative  act  of  the  Most  High  God.  At  bottom, 
man  and  Deity  are  fundamentally  the  same  nature.  God 
has  breathed  his  own  personal  nature  into  the  human  soul. 

Man's  Place  in  the  Universe. — The  two  accounts  of  man's 
creation  are  separated  by  an  interval  of  several  centuries, 
but  in  each  narrative  man  holds  the  central  place.  In  the 
early  record  man  is  created  before  plants  and  animals  and 
these  are  formed  to  give  man  the  opportunity  to  express 
his  powers.  In  the  later  narrative  man  is  the  climax 
of  all  the  creative  acts.  All  that  has  gone  before  is  a 
preparation  for  him.  Both  of  these  narratives  rightfully 
interpret  the  worth  of  spiritual  values.  Man  never  is  to 
be  subordinated  to  the  material  world.  Human  values  are 
the  supreme  values  of  earth.  Man  is  created  to  become  the 
fellow  worker,  the  companion  of  God.  The  Old  Testament 
expresses  this  high  destiny  of  man  in  many  ways.  Man  is 
the  child  of  God,  Isaiah  1.  2;  the  servant  of  God,  Judges 


24  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

2.  8,  the  friend  of  God,  Isaiah  41.  8,  the  wife  of  God, 
Hosea  2.  19.  All  the  personal  relationships  of  human 
beings  become  symbols  of  the  fellowship  of  man  with  the 
Creator  of  the  universe.    Man  ranks  next  to  God. 

This  Truth  Is  Fundamental  to  Religion. — The  goal  of 
religion  is  fellowship  between  man  and  Deity,  and  fellow- 
ship demands  similarity  of  nature.  It  is  true  that  in 
early  times  this  belief  in  man's  likeness  to  God  carried 
little  moral  significance.  It  was  an  idea  whose  barrenness 
close  study  alone  reveals.  This  likeness  at  first  was  con- 
ceived as  a  blending  of  the  material  and  the  immaterial, 
but  through  the  centuries  it  was  spiritualized  and  given 
moral  values.  Hosea  taught  that  man  entered  into  the 
most  intimate  relation  with  God  through  the  practice  of 
righteousness,  justice,  loving-kindness,  and  mercy.  Man 
bears  God's  image  in  proportion  to  his  imitation  of  God's 
righteousness.  This  too  is  the  meaning  of  Isaiah's  vision 
of  God,  Isaiah  6.  1-8.  Man  cannot  share  God's  counsels 
or  enter  into  his  fellowship  without  his  ethical  holiness. 

God's  Image 

Facing  the  Mirror. — You  are  created  in  the  likeness  of 
the  Infinite  Being.  In  what  are  you  like  God?  "In 
nothing,"  you  feel  that  you  ought  to  answer.  It  is  in 
your  possibilities  rather  than  in  your  achievements  that 
the  resemblance  lies.  To  possess  a  conscience  is  to  have 
God's  image.  The  sense  of  right  and  wrong  is  the  property 
of  personal  beings  only.  To  recognize  your  conscience  and 
to  heed  its  warnings  is  one  sure  proof  of  your  resemblance 
to  your  Creator.  STo  man  dares  trifle  with  his  conscience. 
When  he  does  that  he  burns  the  bridge  between  himself 
and  God.  You  may  test  the  brightness  of  God's  image 
in  yourself  by  the  liveliness  of  this  inward  monitor. 

Capacity  for  Great  Fellowship. — To  bear  God's  image 
is  to  be  endowed  with  the  capacity  for  great  fellowship.  A 
mountain  may  lift  its  snowy  head  skyward  and  dwell  apart 
from  other  scarred  and  furrowed  likenesses  of  itself.  But 
a  man  cannot  walk  his  way  alone.  He  cannot  begin  his 
Journey  in  solitude.    Procreation  is  an  act  of  society.    He 


MAN  IN"  THE  IMAGE  OF  GOD  25 

is  nourished  at  another's  breast  and  guided  by  stronger 
hands.  There  is  not  an  act  by  which  lie  enters  into  life 
which  is  his  alone.  Life  is  measured  by  its  fellowships. 
To  share  the  ideals,  the  motives,  the  passions  and  to  partici- 
pate in  the  actions  of  noble  men  and  women  enriches  life 
as  no  solitary  mode  of  life  could  do.  The  great  spiritual 
leaders  of  our  race  have  lived  with  God.  God  ever  has 
offered  the  redeeming  influences  of  his  fellowship.  He  has 
not  asked  man  to  walk  alone  his  rough  path  of  thorns  or 
to  work  companionless  in  the  fields  of  life  for  bread.  He 
has  visited  man  in  his  rest  and  toil,  made  himself  a  guest 
in  his  home,  accompanied  him  in  his  wanderings,  and 
walked  with  him  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of 
death.  He  ever  has  been  the  helper  and  the  Saviour  of  men. 
A  Human  Image. — It  is  man  who  is  created  in  the  image 
of  God.  It  is  not  wealth.  It  is  not  a  political  position.  It 
is  not  a  humanitarian  society  or  organization.  It  is  not 
the  state.  It  is  not  a  factory.  Men  often  have  been  sacri- 
ficed for  institutions  and  things.  When  human  values  are 
lost  sight  of  civilization  stumbles.  Are  all  men  created 
in  the  image  of  God  ?  Is  your  Chinese  laundryman  created 
in  the  divine  image?  Is  this  image  borne  by  the  child  of 
the  slums?  By  the  ignorant  and  by  the  wicked?  By 
paupers  as  well  as  by  princes?  Are  we  not  compelled  to 
see  in  all  men  the  possibility  of  great  life  ? 

To  Be  Considered  by  the  Class 

1.  To  what  extent  would  religion  be  possible  apart  from 
man's  consciousness  of  freedom  of  action? 

2.  Why  did  the  Hebrew  think  himself  fitted  for  fellowship 
with  God? 

3.  What  is  meant  by  personality?  What  distinctions  are 
to  be  made  between  the  personal  life  of  man  and  the  personal 
life  of  God? 

4.  What  likenesses  of  temperament,  occupation,  intellectual 
life,  and  moral  nature  are  needed  to  make  close  fellowship 
between  human  beings? 

5.  What  similarities  of  disposition  and  will  in  God  and  man 
are  necessary  to  make  true  religion  possible? 

6.  If  God  enters  or  is  ready  to  enter  into  fellowship  with 
every  human  being,  what  practical  consequence  follows  in 
man's  relationship  to  his  fellows? 


26  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

7.  To  what  extent  is  the  reluctance  of  the  white  race  to 
brother  other  races  justifiable? 

8.  In  what  sense  do  we  bear  the  image  of  God? 

Helpful  References  for  Additional  Reading 

Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  37-48. 

Robinson,  The  Religious  Ideas  of  the  Old  Testament,  pp. 
77-86. 

Rogers,  Cuneiform  Parallels  to  the  Old  Testament,  pp.  3-60. 
This  is  the  Babylonian  account  of  the  creation. 

Jastrow,  Hebrew  and  Babylonian  Traditions.  Chapter  IV 
is  a  comparative  study  of  the  Hebrew  and  Babylonian  accounts 
of  the  creation. 


CHAPTER  III 
MAN'S  FAILURE  AND  NEED  OF  ASSISTANCE 

When  IsraePs  religious  teachers  were  convinced  that 
man  was  kin  to  Deity,  the  question  gradually  was  formed 
why  man  lacked  so  much  of  the  higher  life  which  belonged 
to  God.  The  answer  came  that  in  the  beginning  man's 
fortunes  were  ideal,  but  through  his  own  sin  had  entered 
the  pains  and  evils  of  his  life.  Through  such  transgres- 
sion man's  fellowship  with  God  had  been  broken,  and  man 
would  continue  to  endure  his  ills  until  Jehovah  received 
him  in  a  new  relation  of  trust  and  obedience. 

The  narrative  of  the  third  chapter  of  Genesis  stamps 
the  threshold  of  human  history  with  this  ver}^  keen  insight 
into  life — that  man  blunders  and  utterly  fails  in  the  realiza- 
tion of  his  being  unless  he  hears  and  obeys  the  voice  of 
God.  Such  a  reading  of  life  is  a  prerequisite  of  the  rise 
of  an  ethical  kingdom  of  God. 

The  Stoey  of  the  Fall 

The  Prohibition. — According  to  Genesis  2.  9,  15-17, 
man's  original  dwelling  was  in  a  luxuriant  garden  located 
in  Eden.  Trees  of  all  possible  beauty  and  every  sort  of  tree 
whose  fruit  might  be  eaten  grew  abundantly.  However, 
man  was  expected  to  labor  in  this  garden,  ^'to  dress  it  and 
to  keep  it."  There  were  also  trees  whose  fruit  could  work 
extraordinary  transformation  in  those  who  partook  of  it. 
Of  all  this  fruit  man  might  eat  freely  except  of  the  magic 
fruit  which  conferred  ^^the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil." 
There  is  no  prohibition  laid  upon  the  use  of  the  fruit  of 
the  tree  of  immortality.  There  is  no  reason  given  man  why 
eating  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  pro- 
duces death.  The  narrative  assumes  that  man  knows  the 
meaning  of  death  and  will  fear  it  enough  to  obey  the  pre- 
cautionary advice. 

27 


28  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

The  Temptation. — Genesis  3.  1-5.  The  serpent,  craftiest 
among  animals,  approaches  the  woman  and  expresses  sur- 
prise that  the  newly  created  couple  are  not  to  eat  of  any 
of  the  trees  of  the  garden.  The  woman  corrects  his  version 
of  the  prohibition.  The  serpent  answers  the  woman  with 
two  statements:  This  fruit  won^t  kill  you,  and.  It  has  the 
power  of  making  wise  those  who  eat  it.  He  implies  also 
that  God  knew  this  and,  not  wishing  man  and  woman  to 
become  as  wise  as  himself,  had  laid  upon  them  this  pro- 
hibition. 

The  Transgression. — Genesis  3.  6-8.  The  woman  yielded 
to  these  suggestions.  The  fruit  was  attractive  to  the  eyes ; 
it  was  not  harmful,  she  was  told,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
would  make  those  who  ate  it  more  like  God.  Therefore 
she  ate  and  induced  her  husband  to  do  likewise.  The 
educational  results  promised  by  the  serpent  took  place 
(3.  22).  Part  of  this  new  knowledge  was  the  conscious- 
ness of  sex.  Apparently  it  was  not  so  much  the  penalty 
promised  for  disobedience  as  it  was  the  new  knowledge 
which  kept  them  from  appearing  in  the  presence  of  Je- 
hovah. 

The  Punishment. — 3.  9-24.  Part  of  the  penalty  falls 
upon  the  serpent.  Henceforth  serpents  must  crawl  in  the 
dust,  and  become  the  objects  of  the  enmity  of  man.  An 
endless  feud  is  proclaimed  between  the  serpent  and  man. 
The  woman  is  condemned  to  sorrow  and  suffering,  to  pain 
in  the  performance  of  her  function  of  motherhood,  and 
to  numerous  ills  through  her  subservient  relation  to  man. 
The  man  is  sentenced  to  wearisome  toil.  He  had  been 
placed  in  the  garden  to  labor,  but  now  the  ground  itself 
is  cursed  to  make  his  work  incomparably  harder.  Instead 
of  fruit  for  food,  the  production  of  which  was  not  irksome 
for  man,  the  produce  of  fields  cultivated  by  hard  toil  is 
to  be  his  sustenance.  This  was  not  the  penalty  which 
had  been  threatened;  death,  not  sorrow  and  labor,  had 
been  promised.  Observe  that  the  knowledge  of  good  and 
evil  is  not  regarded  as  a  calamity,  3.  22;  it  is  one  step  in 
the  process  of  raising  mortal  man  into  divine  immortality. 
The  actual  motive,  as  the  narrative  now  stands,  for  thrust- 


MAN^S  FAILUEE  AND  NEED  29 

ing  man  out  of  the  garden  was  not  his  disobedience,  but  the 
fear  of  God  that  man  with  his  newly  acquired  divine  knowl- 
edge might  eat  the  fruit  of  the  tree  which  confers  im- 
mortalit}^  and  so  become  altogether  divine.  Note  that  3.  19 
implies  that  when  man's  life  on  earth  is  finished  his  life 
becomes  extinct. 

The  Lesson  of  Man's  Failure 

In  this  narrative  the  author  seeks  to  account  for  life  as 
he  sees  it  in  his  own  day.  The  narrative  contains  very  old 
elements  and  uses  conceptions  of  man,  the  world,  and  Deity 
which  must  have  been  familiar  to  men  for  many  genera- 
tions. The  problems  which  the  narrative  seeks  to  solve 
were  not  new  Avhen  this  Hebrew  writer  discussed  them; 
they  had  perplexed  mankind  for  thousands  of  years. 

Notice  how  the  author  answers  the  problems  which  he 
raises.  The  ills  which  flesh  is  heir  to,  result  from  dis- 
obedience of  Jehovah.  The  first  man  had  set  before,  him 
by  his  Creator  a  prohibition  and  a  penalty.  He  should 
have  feared  the  penalty  and  honored  the  prohibition.  The 
choice  of  obedience  lies  with  man.  Sin  is  an  act  of  dis- 
obedience to  a  positive  command,  a  rejection  of  the  divine 
will. 

This  story  exhibits  the  program  of  sin  grounded  in  the 
dual  nature  of  man.  It  springs  from  the  endless  conflict 
between  the  desires  of  "the  dust"  and  the  needs  of  "the 
breath  of  life."  It  is  the  choice  of  the  near-at-hand  in- 
stead of  the  distant-good.  Even  after  revelation  lifts  the 
divine  authority  from  the  power  of  physical  coercion  to 
the  power  of  ethical  holiness,  transgression  is  still  dis- 
obedience, and  works  disaster.  It  is  the  Hebrew's  glory 
that  he  can  take  these  stories  of  his  Semitic  ancestors  and 
cause  them  to  convey  an  eternal  truth  of  religion. 

Its  Eelation  to  the  Kingdom 

Certain  hardships  enter  human  life  through  man's  dis- 
obedience of  God.  It  is  the  purpose  of  this  narrative  to 
lay  down  early  in  Israel's  history  the  principle  that  man's 
life  is  not  the  splendid  thing  he  wishes  it  to  be  until  he 


30  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

reveres  and  obeys  Jehovah's  will.  This  disobedience  is 
sin.  Sin  cramps  man's  life.  It  builds  barriers,  limits  his 
resources,  closes  roads  to  distant  goals.  The  full  life  of 
which  he  dreams  and  feels  faint  promptings  in  his  soul 
cannot  be  lived  in  indifference  or  rebellion  to  Jehovah; 
it  issues  only  in  fellowship  unmarred  by  any  whim  of  man 
to  dishonor  his  Creator's  will. 

Examine  the  narrative  carefully,  and  observe  what  hard- 
ships of  life  are  ascribed  to  man's  transgression.  The 
antipathy  of  man  to  serpents,  the  sense  of  shame  and  reti- 
cence which  accompanies  adolescence,  the  birth-pangs  of 
woman  and  her  subjection  to  man,  the  hard  toil  of  the 
agriculturalist  who  finds  life  a  continual  struggle  to  wrest 
a  livelihood  from  the  rocky  soil  which  grows  weeds  and 
thorns  more  readily  than  grasses  and  grains,  human 
mortality — these  are  some  of  the  durances  which  the  author 
feels  could  not  have  existed  in  the  beginning.  Yet  this 
is  not  all.  It  is  implied  that  man  now  lives  at  a  greater 
distance  from  Jehovah.  Sin  has  produced  alienation  from 
him.  The  incident  ends  with  a  sinking  of  the  heart.  It 
is  a  real  tragedy,  breathing  to  the  last  woe  and  calamity. 

Yet  this  is  not  the  total  effect  which  the  Hebrew  Scrip- 
tures intend.  This  incident  of  disloyalty  is  not  man's 
final  act.  Whatever  tragedy  the  disobedience  involved,  it 
stood  at  the  beginning,  not  at  the  end,  of  humanity's  his- 
tory. It  was  not  a  final  tragedy.  Man,  having  recognized 
his  need  of  God,  once  more,  through  Jehovah's  grace  in  the 
choice  of  Israel,  had  entered  into  fellowship  with  him. 

Thus  this  narrative  of  transgression  is  intended  by  He- 
brew religionists  to  mark  not  only  the  swift  descent  but 
also  the  beginning  of  the  long  ascent  of  man  to  regain  his 
life  with  God.  It  thus  stands  in  their  reflective  thought 
at  the  beginning  of  their  religious  history. 

Concerning  Sin 

The  Price  of  Knowledge. — There  is  a  specious  plea  which 
is  offered  frequently  by  the  morbidly  curious  and  the 
gensual.  Young  men  sometimes  visit  saloons,  gambling 
rooms,  immoral  shows  and  brothels  and  salve  the  con- 


MAN'S  FAILURE  AND  NEED  31 

science  by  the  pretense  that  they  are  justified  in  knowing 
the  whole  of  life.  Sin  is  a  dear  schoolmaster.  The  tuition 
demanded  by  wrongdoing  is  sure  to  be  inordinately  exces- 
sive. The  wild  oats  crop  never  can  be  served  as  breakfast 
food  in  a  happy  healthy  family.  There  are  evils  of  which 
it  is  better  to  be  ignorant  unless  we  are  enlisted  to  fight 
them.  No  one  should  serve  on  a  vice  commission  out  of 
curiosity.  To  sin  in  order  to  be  informed  is  the  road  to 
the  infirmary,  the  hospital,  and  the  insane  asylum. 

The  Social  Sin. — Transgression  is  not  less  sinful  and 
terrible  because  suggested  and  shared  by  others.  Adam's 
sorrows  were  not  less  because  the  fruit  was  proffered  him 
by  a  smiling  Eve.  We  cannot  excuse  our  evil  acts  by 
blaming  others  for  the  sinful  suggestion.  Our  sins  are  the 
more  deplorable  when  they  are  social.  If  an  individual 
could  sin  his  own  sin  and  keep  its  evil  from  overflowing 
into  the  life  of  others,  sin  would  not  be  so  terrible. 

Making  Cripples. — Do  we  really  believe  that  sin  cripples 
life?  Men  and  women  say  by  their  action,  Saint  Paul  is 
a  fool;  sow  to  the  wind,  there  is  no  whirlwind  to  harvest. 
There  is  no  death's-head  of  diseased  bodies  and  sordid  souls 
to  mar  the  distant  years.  The  heedless  rush  into  question- 
able pleasures  and  the  grinding  competitive  methods  of 
selfish  business  indicate  that  vast  multitudes  do  not  realize 
that  sin  mutilates  and  brutalizes  life.  What  manner  of 
man  do  we  count  successful  ?  Do  we  need  a  new  appraise- 
ment of  human  life  to  understand  better  the  deadening 
effects  of  sin?  It  leads  to  dreadful  disaster  to  stand  at 
the  threshold  of  life  and  hear  across  the  distant  years  only 
life's  pleasure  calls.  To  enter  life  lured  by  the  whispers 
of  its  shallower  meaning  leads  to  immeasurable  disaster. 
Sin  is  the  unfeeling  and  ruthless  thing  of  every  finer  pos- 
sibility of  life. 

The  Worst  of  Sin. — Sin  is  more  than  disobedience.  It 
is  broken  fellowship.  We  cannot  do  others  wrong  and  con- 
tinue to  live  in  unclouded  relations  with  them.  Slander 
and  friendship  are  not  good  neighbors.  We  cannot  run 
counter  to  God's  will  and  enjoy  his  fellowship.  The 
prodigal  son,  in  choosing  to  waste  his  money  in  fast  living, 


32  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

parted  company  with  his  father.  Sin  destroys  the  richest 
companionship.  It  thins  out  for  us  God's  Fatherhood  into 
a  meaningless  term.  Sin  unfits  a  man  for  heavenly  society. 
It  robs  him  of  that  identity  of  interest  upon  which  great 
and  noble  fellowship  is  based.     Sin  separates  man  from 

God. 

Suggestions  fob  Class  Discussion 

1.  Hebrew  historians  placed  the  good  times  in  the  far  past. 
Old  people  frequently  declare  that  the  times  grow  worse.  Why 
is  it  so  natural  with  unreflective  persons  to  locate  the  golden 
age  in  the  past? 

2.  What  physical  ills  are  here  said  to  be  the  penalty  of 
man's  disobedience  of  God? 

3.  What  elements  of  permanent  value  are  there  in  this 
account  of  the  origin  of  pain  and  death? 

4.  What  does  it  teach  concerning  the  origin  of  sin? 

5.  What  is  the  opinion  of  the  narrator  concerning  the  rela- 
tion of  knowledge  and  sin? 

6.  It  will  appear  in  later  chapters  that  the  early  Hebrews 
recognized  the  existence  of  other  deities.  What  does  the 
monotheism  of  this  narrative  imply  concerning  its  author? 

7.  Upon  whom  does  the  writer  fix  the  responsibility  for  the 
disobedience? 

8.  Under  what  circumstances  is  it  a  moral  act  to  obey  a 
command  not  understood?  Should  God  morally  justify  to  us 
his  moral  requirements? 

9.  Make  a  list  of  sins  which  do  not  involve  others  in  their 
consequences. 

10.  What  is  the  origin  of  our  promptings  toward  sin? 

11.  Why  is  God  morally  justified  in  requiring  us  to  do  his 
will? 

Suggested  Readings 

Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  48-56. 
Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  Volume  V,  p.  667ff. 
Driver,  The  Book  of  Genesis,  pp.  51-62. 
Encyclopwdia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,  article,  "Fall." 
Jastrow,  Hebrew  and  Babylonian  Traditions,  pp.  47-62. 


CHAPTER  IV 
A  KINGDOM  PIONEER 

The  first  two  chapters  have  set  forth  the  principles  that 
man,  like  Deity,  is  a  spiritual  being,  and  that  his  true 
destiny  is  achieved,  not  in  the  clash,  but  in  the  cooperation 
of  his  will  and  the  will  of  God.  Although  the  actual 
occupancy  of  Palestine  did  not  take  place  until  the  twelfth 
century  B.  C,  the  Hebrews  traced  their  national  beginnings 
and  the  origin  of  their  covenant  with  God  to  Abraham, 
a  Mesopotamian  shepherd.  These  stories  which  circulated 
among  the  patriarchs  concerning  their  forefathers  had  very 
much  to  do  with  shaping  the  nation^s  life.  They  convey 
for  us  also  some  imperishable  truths.  To-day's  study, 
selecting  a  few  incidents  from  the  patriarch's  career,  pre- 
sents the  idea  of  the  covenant  which  through  the  centuries 
produced  so  much  good  and  ill  in  the  people's  life. 

The  Biography  of  a  Pioneer 

The  Faith  of  Abraham:  The  Call.— Genesis  12.  1-4. 
Jehovah  demanded  from  Abraham  some  of  life's  greatest 
renunciations.  To  give  up  home,  to  break  the  ties  of 
kindred,  and  to  part  from  the  land  of  one's  childhood  are 
not  easy  sacrifices  to  make.  Yet  Abraham  was  asked  to 
make  these  renunciations  at  the  call  of  God.  He  was  prom- 
ised great  rewards,  but  these  were  largely  in  the  distance 
and  could  not  be  shared  by  him.  His  decision  meant  also 
the  abandonment  of  the  religion  of  his  fathers.  Abraham 
did  not  know  where  Jehovah  would  lead  him.  He  was  to 
pack  his  goods  and  travel  in  the  direction  in  which  Jehovah 
pointed.  In  the  course  of  time  his  new  home  was  shown 
to  him,  12.  7,  but  he  himself  ever  was  to  be  only  a  sojourner 
in  this  promised  land. 

The  Response. — Genesis  12.  4-9.  Abraham  did  not  hesi- 
tate.   Accompanied  by  Lot,  and  taking  his  substance,  fiocks 

33 


34  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 


and  herds,  and  "the  souls  that  they  had  gotten  in  Haran/' 
i.  e.,  his  slaves,  he  set  forth  and  migrated  into  the  west.  A 
map  may  be  consulted  for  his  probable  route  to  Canaan. 
His  road  lay  by  the  way  of  Carchemish  and  of  Damascus, 
along  the  side  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  past  Bethshan,  and 
thence  to  Shechem.  The  oak  of  Moreh  at  Shechem  was  a 
sacred  tree  and  was  attended  no  doubt  by  Canaanitish 
priests.  In  the  neighborhood  of  this  ancient  sanctuary 
Abraham  is  assured  by  a  vision  that  this  is  the  promised 
land.  In  gratitude  Abraham  built  an  altar  and  sacrificed 
unto  Jehovah.  Abraham  next  passes  through  the  land 
from  north  to  south.  At  various  places,  notably  Bethel, 
he  erects  altars  and  sacrifices  to  Jehovah. 

The  Fault  of  Abraham. — Genesis  12.  10-20.  Like  many 
another  shepherd  of  the  wilderness,  the  rich  pasturages  of 
the  Nile  attracted  Abraham  in  a  time  of  drought.  As 
Abraham  drew  near  Egypt  a  selfish  fear  came  over  him. 
Supposing  that  the  Egyptians,  attracted  by  the  beauty  of 
Sarah,  would  kill  him  to  possess  her,  if  they  knew  that 
she  was  his  wife,  Abraham  fell  back  upon  the  half-truth 
of  her  sisterhood.  Does  the  narrative  condemn  the  selfish 
cowardice  of  Abraham,  the  expected  adultery  of  Sarah,  and 
their  common  lie?  Sarah,  whatever  may  have  been  her 
feeling,  was  the  victim  of  the  customary  Oriental  despot- 
ism. Although  Abraham  intensified  his  false  position  by 
accepting  Pharaoh's  gifts,  he  clung  to  them  ever  after  his 
exposure  and  took  them  back  with  him  to  Canaan.  There 
is  no  suggestion  of  the  way  in  which  Pharaoh  discovered 
the  reason  for  the  plagues.  A  similar  story  of  Isaac  and 
Rebekah  may  supply  the  missing  link  in  the  narrative. 
Pharaoh,  to  be  rid  of  this  troublesome  pair,  sent  them  away 
with  all  their  possessions  under  an  escort. 

The  Magnanimity  of  Abraham. — Genesis  13.  After  leav- 
ing Egypt  Abraham  proceeds  leisurely  to  Bethel.  Locate 
this  site  upon  the  map.  Observe  the  dispute  between  the 
dependents  of  Abraham  and  those  of  his  nephew,  Lot. 
What  is  to  be  said  of  the  character  of  Lot  ?  Abraham  is 
now  assured  that  the  land  of  Canaan  is  to  be  the  possession 
of  his  descendants  forever.    The  land  which  falls  to  him 


A  KINGDOM  PIONEER  35 

by  the  selfish  choice  of  Lot  may  not  yield  such  rich  pas- 
turages as  the  valley  of  the  Jordan,  but  Abraham  remains 
within  the  realm  of  Jehovah's  providential  care. 

The  Obedience  of  Abraham. — Genesis  22.  Abraham's 
confidence  in  God  is  tested  by  the  greatest  trial  of  his  life. 
The  sacrifices  made  to  reach  the  promised  land  long  ago 
are  forgotten.  Eiches  and  honor  have  been  heaped  upon 
him.  His  son,  child  of  faith,  has  come  and  grown  into 
boyhood.  Now  falls  the  strange,  hope-blasting,  soul-crush- 
ing order  to  sacrifice  his  only  lad  as  a  burnt-oifering. 
Human  sacrifice  is  not  uncommon  in  Canaan,  but  it  ends 
the  life-dream  of  Abraham  to  be  blessed  in  his  progeny. 
Read  the  pathetic  tale  again.  What  must  have  been  the 
mental  agony  and  the  unnatural  self-command  of  the  father 
when  Isaac  asked,  ^^Where  is  the  lamb  for  the  burnt-offer- 
ing?'' But  Abraham's  faith  did  not  break  under  the 
terrible  ordeal.  ^'By  faith  Abraham  obeyed."  The  choice 
of  Abraham  to  be  the  father  of  the  Hebrew  people  is 
vindicated  by  his  unquestioned  obedience  of  God. 

The  Ideal  Hebrew 

The  First  Hebrew. — Israel's  historians  are  fond  of  begin- 
nings. Reaching  backward  across  unnumbered  centuries, 
they  set  before  us  their  account  of  the  first  man,  which 
has  ruled  the  thought  of  millions  beyond  their  own  race. 
Now,  from  the  vantage  of  their  settled  life  in  Canaan,  they 
relate  the  traditions  of  their  origin.  It  is  a  story  of  the 
manner  in  which  their  ancestors,  under  divine  guidance, 
migrated  from  the  Tigris-Euphrates  valley  into  Palestine 
and  after  many  vicissitudes  took  possession  of  the  land. 
Abraham  was  their  first  ancestor.  Their  history  began 
in  him.  But  Abraham  not  only  was  first  in  time;  he  was 
also  first  in  character  for  vast  multitudes  of  his  descend- 
ants. Except  among  the  prophets  who  stressed  righteous- 
ness as  the  soul  of  religion,  Abraham  was  the  moral  and 
religious  ideal  of  his  people. 

A  Great  Adventurer. — Abraham's  story  is  the  story  of 
a  homeless  wanderer  who,  ever  dreaming  of  some  beautiful 
land  of  valleys,  hills,  and  grassy  plains,  ever  was  led  forth 


36  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

into  strange  adventures  by  his  great  expectations,  yet  who 
found  himself  always  on  the  borders  of  his  promised  land. 
During  a  long  life  across  the  country  from  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees  to  the  Egyptian  borders,  at  Shechem,  Bethel, 
Hebron,  and  Beersheba,  he  fed  his  flocks  and  pitched  his 
tents  in  luxuriant  valleys,  on  green  hill  slopes,  and  by 
the  edges  of  bleak  sand-wastes,  and  ever  trusting  that  same 
Voice  which  called  him  away  from  the  old  civilization  of 
the  East  into  the  Western  wilderness,  he  continually  opened 
his  soul  to  the  leadings  of  his  Jehovah.  Sometimes  he  was 
told  to  move  his  flocks  across  the  hills  and  valleys  that 
he  might  learn  the  richness  of  the  country  which  his  chil- 
dren should  call  home.  Sometimes  his  black  tents  were 
pitched  on  the  borders  of  the  desert,  and  looking  out  upon 
the  sun-bright  stretches  of  sand  which  the  wind  flung  sky- 
ward, the  Voice  whispered  that  his  people  should  be  num- 
berless as  the  grains  of  sand.  Sometimes  he  camped  in 
the  valley  of  Shechem,  where  the  marvelous  sky  bent  blue 
from  the  Great  Sea  to  the  Galilaean  Lake,  and  at  the  eve- 
ning hour,  standing  by  his  tent  and  wondering  at  the  stars, 
the  Voice  assured  him  that  his  children  should  be  count- 
less as  the  stars  in  heaven.  Sometimes  famine  gaunt  and 
grim  took  up  the  shepherd's  staff  and  drove  the  wanderer's 
flocks  across  the  borders  into  Philistia  or  to  the  green  fields 
of  the  Nile,  but  he  never  failed  to  hear  the  Voice  calling 
liim  back  to  the  wells  he  had  dug  and  the  altars  he  had 
builded.  The  life  of  this  man  was  one  long  obedience  to 
that  inward  leading  of  the  soul  which  he  interpreted  as 
the  Voice  of  Jehovah.  He  obeyed  this  Voice,  though  it 
called  him  to  strange,  adventurous  undertakings  and  great, 
unselfish  decisions.  With  an  utter  disregard  of  where  that 
Voice  would  lead  him,  he  followed  it,  content  to  know  that 
the  journey  which  Jehovah  planned  was  safe  and  blessed. 

The  Man  of  Faith. — Thus  Abraham  was  preeminently 
characterized  by  his  faith  in  Jehovah.  It  is  a  striking 
witness  to  the  idealism  of  the  Hebrew  people  that  their 
great  hero  is  not  first  of  all  a  sage,  a  warrior,  or  a  pluto- 
crat. He  is  primarily  a  man  of  faith.  He  honors  ancient 
shrines,  enjoys  theophanies,  builds  altars,  and  jeopardizes. 


A  KINGDOM  PIONEER  37 

in  the  cupidity  of  Lot,  the  land  which  he  had  come  to  re- 
gard as  his  own.  The  rewards  which  lured  him  to  Canaan 
are  not  altogther  spiritual.  A  numerous  progeny,  a  famous 
name,  and  a  material  prosperity  which  shall  awaken 
throughout  the  world  the  desires  of  other  peoples  to  possess 
like  advantages  are  not  exactly  exalted  spiritual  concep- 
tions. Neither  does  the  mean  story  of  Abraham's  adven- 
ture in  Egypt  add  to  his  glory.  But  through  all  material 
motives  and  moral  lapses  runs  this  eventually  life-trans- 
forming experience  of  obedience  and  fellowship  with  God. 
The  call  and  response  in  Abraham's  day  may  not  have 
reached  high  ethical  levels,  but  such  commerce  of  man  and 
Deity  is  the  highway  of  the  coming  Kingdom.  Abraham 
took  on  greatness  of  mind  in  dealing  with  Lot  and  the 
king  of  Sodom,  while  in  his  heroic  faith  and  sublime 
obedience  in  yielding  up  Isaac  to  the  presumed  will  of 
God,  Abraham  rises  to  the  ethereal  heights  where  alone 
exalted  souls  may  dwell. 

Great  Adventukers 

The  Charm  of  Adventure. — The  hearts  of  men  ever  have 
been  stirred  by  stories  of  great  adventure.  The  wanderings 
of  Ulysses  charmed  many  generations  of  his  Greek  coun- 
trymen. The  travels  of  Marco  Polo  were  the  delight  of 
mediseval  raconteurs  at  monastery  and  castle.  The  bril- 
liant daring  of  Pizarro  was  the  inspiration  of  many  a 
Spanish  captain  who  dreamed  of  empire  within  the  golden 
lands  of  the  New  World.  But  the  classical  story  of  adven- 
ture is  the  Hebrew  narrative  of  Abraham,  which  at  the 
wells  and  altars  of  Israel  was  the  best  loved  of  the  nation's 
patriarchal  traditions.  Explorer,  tent-dweller,  generous 
benefactor,  associate  of  kings,  builder  of  altars,  heroic 
exemplar  of  mighty  faith,  wanderer  until  he  died:  this  is 
the  splendid  figure  of  that  great  adventurer  whose  spirit 
through  a  dozen  centuries  infused  the  most  adventurous 
people  of  the  ancient  world. 

God  Still  Calls  Men  to  Great  Adventure. — God  ever 
summons  men  to  march  an  open  road  to  distant  adventures 
of  the  soul.     It  is  the  feeling  that  the  invisible  powers 


38  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

which  shape  the  destiny  of  man  are  calling  in  every 
thrust  of  ambition  and  endeavor,  which  is  the  root-fact 
of  every  truly  great  event  in  life.  There  is  nothing  of 
permanent  value  that  does  not  spring  out  of  a  call  of 
God.  There  is  but  one  class  of  men  who  stand  out  like 
stars  serene  and  successful  in  the  twilight  of  the  past.  They 
are  those  who  felt  above  the  lure  of  worldly  pleasures  the 
commanding  call  of  God.  No  man  utterly  fails  to  receive 
a  divine  call.  In  a  thousand  ways  God  suggests  the  distant 
land  of  manlier  achievement.  In  birth  and  death,  in  the 
trust  of  a  child,  in  married  love,  in  the  greeting  of  friends, 
in  business  obligations,  in  the  break  of  day,  and  in  the 
blooming  of  the  stars  God  is  luring  the  soul  toward  the 
spiritual  journey. 

The  Strictures  of  a  Faithless  Life. — If  we  do  not  hear 
and  obey  God^s  voice,  there  are  inheritances  into  which  we 
never  can  enter.  All  the  fields  of  fellowship  with  God 
never  have  been  traversed  by  our  poor,  faltering  feet.  Our 
tents  have  not  been  pitched  upon  all  their  flowery  hills. 
There  is  a  blueness  in  the  sky  of  God's  love  which  we  never 
have  beheld.  The  softly  whispered  breezes  blowing  in  from 
the  eternal  sea  of  his  mercy  have  not  always  fanned  our 
faces  flushed  by  pain,  toil,  and  sin.  There  are  possibilities 
in  the  Christian  life  beyond  all  that  we  have  realized.  You 
remember  the  story  of  Gulliver,  who  was  wrecked  upon  an 
island  inhabited  by  tiny,  six-inch  people.  While  the  giant 
slept  those  little  men  drove  hundreds  of  pegs  into  the  ground 
and  tied  down  his  arms,  body,  and  legs  till  he  who  might 
have  crushed  dozens  of  them  at  a  blow  lay  fast  bound  at 
their  mercy.  The  giant  Faith  lies  slumbering  in  man- 
kind, and  men  and  women  who  have  the  power  to  set  for- 
ward God's  kingdom  by  majestic  strides  are  bound  by 
habits,  customs,  business,  and  personal  ambitions,  each 
weak  in  itself,  but  strong  enough  together  to  shackle  sons 
and  daughters  of  God. 

Traveling  with  God. — Go  forth  with  God  from  the  old 
life  of  self,  failure,  and  besetting  sin.  He  may  lead  you 
away  from  some  dear  habits,  questionable  business  prac- 
tices, trivial  amusements;  from  mere  religious  profession; 


A  KINGDOM  PIONEER  39 

from  much  that  has  grown  familiar  and  dear.  But  God 
never  loses  those  whom  he  leads.  Largeness  of  soul  comes 
to  him  who  travels  with  God.  He  who  seeks  the  fellow- 
ship of  the  greatest  person  of  the  universe  reflects  in- 
evitably something  of  the  ineffable  splendor  of  his  com- 
panionship. It  is  God's  way  to  choose  an  unknown  Hebrew 
to  originate  a  Messianic  people,  a  simple  Genoese  sailor 
to  find  a  world,  a  humble  German  monk  to  begin  a  reforma- 
tion, a  Corsican  lieutenant  to  break  a  feudal  despotism, 
a  college  student  to  found  a  Methodism,  an  Illinois  back- 
woodsman to  free  a  race  of  slaves.  To  walk  with  God  turns 
weakness  and  obscurity  into  strength  and  fame. 

Question — Paths  to  the  Lesson 

1.  Why  may  progress  in  religion  be  traced  by  individual  and 
social  renunciations? 

2.  These  stories  in  the  life  of  Abraham  circulated  orally 
among  the  Hebrews  during  their  early  occupancy  of  Canaan, 
and  in  the  majority  of  instances  were  a  new  presentation  of 
their  nation's  past.  Under  such  circumstances  what  probably 
was  the  moral  effect  of  Abraham's  unhesitating  obedience  to 
Jehovah?  Of  his  generous  dealings  with  Lot?  Of  his  decep- 
tion of  Pharaoh?  Of  his  realization  of  religion  as  a  life  of 
prayer,  communion  with  Jehovah,  and  loyalty  to  his  will, 
rather  than  a  life  of  sensual  sacrificial  feasts? 

3.  Abraham  is  preeminently  an  early  Hebrew  ideal  of  life. 
To  what  extent  was  Israel's  religious  life  shaped  by  this  ideal? 

4.  An  ideal  is  a  conception  of  something  which  ought  to  be. 
Sometimes  it  is  expressed  in  a  legendary  hero,  as  in  William 
Tell.  Sometimes  it  appears  in  an  abstract  idea  as  in  democ- 
racy. To  what  extent  is  life,  both  individual  and  societal, 
governed  by  ideals?    Why  are  ideals  necessary  to  progress? 

5.  What  did  faith  mean  to  Abraham?  What  are  the  essen- 
tials of  Christian  faith? 

Suggested  Readings 

Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  63-97. 
Driver,  The  Book  of  Genesis,  pp.  143,  168-174,  202ff. 
Smith,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  35-51. 
Dictionary   of   the  Bihle^   edited   by   Hastings,   Volume   I, 
article,  "Abraham." 


CHAPTER  V 
A  PEOVIDENTIAL  MIGRATION 

When  the  prophetic  writers  of  Israel  reflected  upon  the 
nation's  past  they  perceived  that  a  crisis  arose  in  the  life 
and  work  of  the  patriarch  Joseph  which  ushered  in  a  new 
epoch  of  Hebrew  history.  Isaac  and  Jacob  had  not  realized 
largely  the  promise  made  to  Abraham.  They  did  not 
possess  the  land.  Isaac's  life  was  spent  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Beersheba  and  Hebron.  Jacob  passed  twenty 
years  at  Haran,  and  on  returning  with  his  herds  Journeyed 
through  the  land  to  make  his  home  at  'Hebron.  They 
cherished  the  "promise,"  but  neither  they  nor  their  sons 
were  yet  a  blessing  to  the  world. 

Now  the  call  comes  to  Abraham's  people  to  leave  with 
children,  herds,  and  flocks  the  land  promised  to  him  and 
his  descendants.  It  seemed  the  death  of  all  the  grand 
patriarchal  dreams.  But  Jacob's  youthful  spirit  of  adven- 
ture revives  within  him,  and  when  he  saw  the  Egj^ptian 
wagons  come  to  carry  him  into  Egypt  he  exclaimed, 
"Joseph,  my  son,  is  yet  alive ;  I  will  go  and  see  him  before 
I  die."  It  is  the  meaning  of  this  migration  in  the  religious 
life  of  Israel  which  we  now  study. 

The  Adventures  of  Joseph 

The  adventures  of  Joseph  are  narrated  in  Genesis  37, 
and  39  to  47.  There  are  four  centers  of  interest  in  this 
drama. 

The  Patriarch  Jacob.— Genesis  37.  3,  11,  12-14,  33- 
35;  42.  36-38;  43.  11-14;  45.  26-28;  46.  1-7,  28-30;  47.  7- 
10,  28-31 ;  48.  1-22.  These  verses  tell  the  story  of  Jacob's 
life  in  his  last  years.  He  lives  at  Hebron  while  his  sons 
pasture  his  flocks  far  and  wide.  He  openly  shows  his 
affection  for  his  favorite  son.     He  clothes  him  in  tunics 

40 


A  PROVIDENTIAL  MIGRATION  41 

such  as  princes  wore.  He  did  not  chide  the  boy  for  his 
wild  dreaming.  He  made  Joseph  his  messenger  to  his 
elder  sons.  He  was  foolish  in  his  mourning  as  well  as  in 
his  dressing  of  his  son.  Jacob  was  not  a  wise  father,  yet 
there  was  an  unconscious  premonition  of  Joseph's  great- 
ness in  Jacob's  treatment  of  his  son.  He  pays  him  the 
highest  tribute  of  greatness  before  he  is  aware  of  his  liv- 
ing in  Egypt,  43.  11-14.  He  finally  recognizes  that  the 
sale  of  Joseph  is  providential  and  his  migration  is  of  the 
Lord. 

The  Brothers  of  Joseph. — These  men  are  the  dark  back- 
ground of  the  drama.  Apparently,  they  frequently 
quarreled  and  mismanaged  their  father's  business,  37.  2. 
Their  souls  were  too  small  to  rise  above  the  injustice  of 
their  father's  favoritism,  37.  11.  They  could  lie  and 
murder  in  the  furtherance  of  their  ends,  37.  20.  They 
could  bring  unflinchingly  the  deepest  sorrow  upon  their 
aged  father,  37.  31.  Misfortune,  however,  awoke  their 
conscience,  42.  21,  to  the  realization  of  their  iniquity  to- 
ward Joseph,  and  to  a  new  tenderness  toward  their  father, 
44.  30-34.  They  forced  themselves  at  last  to  seek  Joseph's 
forgiveness,  50.  16-18. 

The  Egyptian  Court. — A  series  of  incidents  in  Egypt 
test  the  faith  of  Joseph:  (1)  the  false  accusation  of  the 
wife  of  Potiphar,  39.  1-20;  (2)  the  ungrateful  treatment 
of  the  chief  butler,  40.  1-21;  (3)  the  elevation  of  Joseph 
to  the  chief  dignity  under  Pharaoh,  chapter  41.  The 
student  should  read  these  stories  and  consider  the  manner 
in  which  Joseph  rises  through  adversity  and  prosperity  to 
noble  character. 

Joseph  the  Dreamer. — Last  and  most  prominent  is 
Joseph,  who,  in  the  midst  of  hostile  circumstances,  works 
out  his  splendid  destiny.  Recall  the  various  incidents  of 
Joseph's  life  and  consider  him  as  a  son,  a  brother,  a  servant, 
a  prisoner,  and  a  public  administrator.  Estimate  him  by 
the  treatment  he  receives  from  others.  Observe  him  in 
misfortune,  in  temptation,  and  in  exalted  favor.  Like 
Abraham,  Joseph  ordered  his  life  through  sublime  con- 
fidence in  God.    Read  Genesis  45.  5,  7-9  and  50.  20  and 


42  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

state  the  fundamental  trait  of  Joseph's  character.  Inter- 
twined with  this  matchless  story  of  Joseph's  triumph 
through  adversity  is  the  account  of  the  Hebrew  migration 
into  Egypt.  Indeed,  the  career  of  Joseph  is  subsidiary 
to  this  epochal  event.  These  patriarchs  hesitated  to  go 
into  Egypt.  It  seemed  to  them  a  parting  with  the  promise. 
They  needed  to  be  reassured  by  a  vision  from  Jehovah  that 
he  would  bring  them  back  from  Egypt  to  the  promised 
land. 

Joseph  and  the  Kingdom 

Israel  in  Egypt. — All  the  traditions  of  the  Hebrews 
point  to  a  sojourn  of  their  ancestors  in  Egypt.  To  the 
historians  whose  accounts  we  have  been  following  in  these 
first  lessons  the  past  of  the  Hebrew  people  extended  farther 
into  history  than  the  Exodus  from  Egypt.  Therefore  they 
cherished  the  stories  of  their  ancestors  concerning  the  drift 
out  of  the  rugged  pasturages  of  Canaan  and  the  south 
country  into  the  green  fields  of  the  Nile.  Of  one  thing 
these  Hebrew  historians  were  convinced:  Jehovah  had 
guided  their  nation  from  the  beginning.  Whatever  had 
been  the  nature  of  the  migration  of  their  ancestors,  it  had 
been  divinely  guided.  It  was  a  part  of  the  great  destiny 
which  Jehovah  had  planned  for  his  own  people. 

A  Unique  Leader. — This  migration,  therefore,  was  ac- 
complished through  a  rare  type  of  man.  The  outward  cir- 
cumstances of  Jacob's  sons  were  much  the  same.  Their 
life  was  made  up  of  the  same  routine,  the  same  common- 
place, uneventful  care  of  their  flocks,  the  same  fair  sky 
by  day  and  the  same  glittering  stars  at  night.  Heredity 
and  environment  should  have  sunk  them  all  into  oblivion, 
but  the  genius  of  Joseph  has  lifted  them  all  into  historical 
immortality.  The  brothers  were  staid,  dull,  hard-fisted, 
cringing,  calculating  Jews  who  united  craft  with  skill  in 
dealing  with  herds.  But  there  is  no  hint  that  the  promise 
made  to  Abraham  kindled  their  minds  with  great  endeavor. 
There  is  no  suggestion  that  Jehovah  was  anything  to  them 
except  the  avenger  of  crime.  They  gave  no  evidence  that 
they  had  the  faith  or  cared  for  the  blessing  of  Abraham. 


A  PROVIDENTIAL  MIGEATION  43 

His  Gift  of  Imagination. — Joseph  is  a  cosmopolite,  a 
dreamer,  a  visionist.  He  brooded  over  the  future.  He 
expected  large  issues  to  life.  He  belongs  to  the  prophets. 
His  young  soul  must  have  been  stirred  by  the  tales  of 
Abraham^s  adventures  and  his  covenant  with  Jehovah.  He 
accepted  these  promises  of  Jehovah  as  realities,  believed 
that  they  were  his  also,  and  looked  for  great  enterprises. 
No  adversity  could  daunt  such  a  man.  In  the  midst  of 
defeat  he  claimed  a  larger  empire.  The  unfulfilled  dream 
of  the  sheaves  set  him  dreaming  of  the  stars.  Defeat  en- 
listed him  for  a  greater  battle.  By  sheer  enthusiasm  and 
confidence  in  God  he  forced  his  brothers  into  acknowledg- 
ment of  their  crime,  and  compelled  reluctant  Jacob  to 
migrate  with  all  his  household  and  herds.  Joseph  is  the 
successor  of  Abraham.  He  had  imagination  enough  to  be 
used  of  God. 

A  Kingdom  Builder. — It  was  the  faith  and  the  genius 
of  Joseph  which  occasioned  the  Hebrew  migration  into 
Egypt.  To  his  astonished  brothers  he  asserted,  "God  sent 
me  before  you  to  preserve  you  a  remnant  in  the  earth.'^ 
Through  them  he  sent  the  urgent  summons  to  his  father, 
"God  hath  made  me  lord  of  all  Egypt:  come  down  unto 
me,  tarry  not;  .  .  .  there  are  yet  five  years  of  famine.'' 
In  Joseph's  mind  the  migration  was  absolutely  essential 
to  preserve  Hebrew  life,  and  he,  of  all  Jacob's  sons,  was 
alive  to  the  promised  destiny  of  his  family.  It  was  the 
ideal  of  the  Kingdom  within  him — the  striving  after  the 
Abrahamic  blessing  for  his  race — which  coerced  his 
brothers  to  do  his  will  and  moved  hesitating  Jacob  to 
seek  an  alien  land. 

Joseph  leads  his  family  into  a  larger  patriarchal  world. 
There  are  no  complex  situations  in  the  careers  of  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob.  There  are  conflicts  and  grave  decisions ; 
but  Joseph's  world  is  more  complex,  his  vicissitudes  more 
varied,  his  decisions  more  far-reaching.  There  are  more 
wills  at  play  in  his  destiny.  What  Joseph  adds  to  patri- 
archal histor)%  working  through  his  brothers  and  his  father, 
is  this  larger  truth  of  the  Kingdom:  through  all  diverse 
and  warring  human  wills  God  is  working  his  own  will  and 


44  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

building,  ever  building,  the  kingdom  of  his  rule  in  the  life 
of  men. 

Deeams  That  Come  Tkue 

Civilization  is  Created  by  Dreamers. — Columbus,  the 
dreamer  among  the  vineyards  of  Italy,  watching  in  boy- 
hood the  sun  pass  down  beyond  the  Ligurian  headlands, 
dreamed  one  sunset  that  it  passed  round  the  world. 
Whether  the  world  is  round  or  flat  seemed  to  the  majority 
of  Genoese  sailors  a  matter  of  little  concern.  It  changed 
no  wind  that  filled  their  sails,  ripened  no  more  rapidly  the 
wheatfields  of  the  Nile,  nor  clouded  their  Mediterranean 
sky  nor  dimmed  the  beauty  of  ten  thousand  stars  which 
glimmered  on  the  evening  sea.  But  from  the  hour  that 
Columbus  felt  the  restless  call  of  the  lands  adown  the 
edges  of  the  world  and  put  forth  across  the  Atlantic  to 
behold  the  virgin  Americas,  the  routes  of  vessels,  the  power 
of  winds  and  waves,  the  ripening  of  harvests,  the  location 
of  markets,  and  the  meaning  of  the  stars  have  changed  and 
proved  to  a  dotard  world  the  need  of  dreaming  of  un- 
horizoned  lands. 

Dreamers  Are  God's  rellow-Workmen. — There  is  end- 
less illustration  that  the  world  is  created  by  dreamers. 
These  are  the  men  who  saw  statues  in  blocks  of  marble, 
sea-going  vessels  in  oak-forests,  steam  engines  in  tea- 
kettles, railroads  in  iron  ore,  palaces  in  banks  of  clay,  and 
teeming  populations  achieving  prosperity  and  happiness  in 
the  unbroken  wilderness.  Cathedrals,  parliamentary  halls, 
libraries,  art  galleries,  and  universities  have  been  built  by 
dreams.  Dreamers  raised  the  Pyramids,  filled  Athens  with 
beauty  and  Rome  with  power,  awoke  Germany  into  the 
Reformation  and  sent  the  timid  ships  of  the  Pilgrims  to 
the  inhospitable  shores  of  New  England.  You  cannot  put 
your  foot  upon  a  great  historic  spot  without  standing  where 
a  dreamer  has  stood.  God  is  looking  to-day  for  dreamers : 
for  men  and  women  who  can  imagine  so  vividly  distant 
goals  of  just  social  institutions  and  evangelized  races  as 
to  make  them  worth  to  us  now  endless  ministries  and 
sacrifices. 


A  PROVIDENTIAL  MIGRATION  45 

Our  Need  is  Dreamers  and  Prophets. — It  is  not  more 
capital  or  more  labor :  not  the  extension  of  industry  or  the 
multiplication  of  wealth.  The  wealth  of  nations  is  not  in 
mines,  forests,  or  farms.  Their  glory  is  not  in  the  great- 
ness of  their  wars.  These  have  cursed  as  well  as  blessed 
a  people.  A  nation's  prosperity  is  in  its  dreamers.  It  is 
with  men  and  women  who  believe  that  vice  is  not  a  neces- 
sity: that  drunkenness,  debauchery,  lechery,  revolting 
poverty,  and  militarism  are  foul  bilgewater  to  be  slushed 
from  human  life.  We  need  men  who  hear  the  mystic  chim- 
ing of  silver  bells  in  the  far  spiritual  city  and  who  believe 
such  music  may  be  played  on  earth.  Conduct  always  waits 
on  moral  vision.  The  seer  strides  at  the  head  of  the  pro- 
cession of  doers.    He  is  the  chief  bugler  of  human  welfare. 

The  Greatest  of  Dreamers. — Jesus  visioned  the  kingdom 
of  God.  He  became  the  scorn  of  his  nation,  but  he  kept 
his  dream.  He  was  lifted  to  a  cross  and  laid  in  a  tomb, 
but  he  kept  faith  with  his  dream.  He  came  forth  from 
his  grave  and  the  world  began  to  wonder  at  the  glory  of 
his  dream.  He  inspired  others  to  dream  his  dream  after 
him.  They  went  forth  from  Jerusalem  with  a  marvelous 
story  on  their  lips  and  a  marvelous  light  in  their  soul.  We 
are  their  children.  The  Christ-dream  has  come  to  us.  We 
must  furnish  the  world  the  great  moral  enthusiasms  needed 
to-day.  We  need  an  empire  of  dreams  more  than  we  need 
wealth  and  position.  It  is  in  the  actualizing  of  dreams 
that  men  grow  strong  and  women  beautiful. 

Topics  for  Class  Discussion 

1.  What  weaknesses  appear  in  Jacob's  training  of  his  chil- 
dren? 

2.  How  do  such  differences  between  children  of  the  same 
family  arise? 

3.  What  caused  the  Hebrews  to  migrate  to  Egypt? 

4.  To  what  extent  do  economic  conditions  govern  our  lives? 

5.  Why  did  the  brothers  of  Joseph  dislike  him?  Are  such 
motives  prevalent  to-day? 

6.  Consider  whether  business  ability  and  integrity  of  charac- 
ter are  certain  to  win  wealth  and  honor. 

7.  What  was  the  governing  religious  principle  of  Joseph's 
life?     Consider  whether  Joseph's  philosophy  of  evil  is  satis- 


46  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

factory  for  our  modern  needs.    If  God  is  the  absolute  ruler 
of  the  world,  how  may  we  explain  the  presence  of  evil? 

8.  Why  are  those  men  and  women  who  believe  in  the  prog- 
ress of  God's  kingdom  likely  to  become  the  best  citizens? 

9.  The  social  dreamer  is  one  who  believes  that  the  thing 
which  ought  to  be  may  be,  and  who  gives  himself  to  its 
achievement.  What  social  reforms  in  your  community  are 
awaiting  dreamers  to  see  them? 

References 

Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles,   "Jacob"  and 
"Joseph." 
Welch,  The  Story  of  Joseph,  pp.  3-122. 
Peritz,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  48-62. 


CHAPTER  VI 
THE  HEBEEWS  IN  EGYPT 

The  entrance  of  the  Hebrews  into  Egypt  under  the 
fostering  care  of  Joseph  did  not  result  happily  for  Israel. 
The  Egyptian  bondage  is  a  dark  chapter  in  their  history. 
This  chapter  presents  the  historical  material  available  for 
understanding  this  grievous  experience  and  seeks  to  an- 
swer two  questions:  What  service  did  the  inflictions  im- 
posed upon  the  Hebrews  by  the  Egyptians  render  the  gen- 
eration which  endured  them?  What  significance  did  this 
slavery  in  Egypt  have  for  later  centuries  ? 

The  Stoky  of  the  Sojouen 

The  Place  and  Time  of  the  Sojourn  in  Egypt. — Both 
the  place  and  the  length  of  time  of  the  sojourn  of  the 
Hebrews  in  Egypt  are  uncertain.  According  to  Genesis 
45.  10;  47.  6;  Exodus  8.  22  and  9.  26,  the  Israelites  dwelt 
apart  from  the  Egyptians  in  Goshen,  a  narrow  strip  of  land 
thirty  or  forty  miles  long  lying  between  Lake  Timsah  and 
the  Tanitic  branch  of  the  Nile.  The  writer  of  these  sec- 
tions, the  oldest  historical  portions  of  the  Old  Testament, 
represents  his  people  as  numerous  and  powerful.  Exodus 
1.  20.  Indeed,  they  are  greater  in  number  than  the  Egyp- 
tians themselves,  1.  9.  They  maintain  their  tribal  organiza- 
tion, 3.  16,  possess  flocks  and  herds.  Exodus  10.  24,  and 
migrate  from  Egypt  in  exceedingly  large  numbers,  12.  37. 
According  to  3.  22;  11.  2;  12.  13,  the  Hebrews  do  not  dwell 
apart  from  the  Egyptians,  but  are  scattered  among  them 
in  various  parts  of  the  land.  From  1.  15-22  and  2.  1-10 
it  appears  that  they  were  living  near  the  palace  of  the  king, 
and  1.  15  indicates  that  the  Hebrews  were  few  in  number. 

The  length  of  the  sojourn  in  Egypt  is  equally  confused. 
From  Exodus  1.  6  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  all  who  were 
familiar  with  the  incidents  of  the  migration  into  Egypt 

47 


48  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

had  died  before  the  hardships  of  bondage  began.  The  few 
patriarchal  families  have  multiplied  until  they  outnumber 
the  Egyptians,  1.  8,  9.  Genesis  15.  13  states  that  the 
Hebrews  were  to  dwell  in  Egypt  four  hundred  years.  Four 
hundred  and  thirty  years  are  the  figures  given  in  Exodus 
12.  40.  Another  line  of  tradition  gave  a  much  shorter 
period.  In  Genesis  15.  16  the  sojourn  ends  in  the  fourth 
generation.  According  to  Numbers  26.  59,  Levi,  who  had 
migrated  to  Egypt  with  Jacob,  is  the  father  of  Jochebed, 
who  is  the  mother  of  Moses.  These  references  imply  a 
period  of  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  years.  In 
general,  the  authors  who  think  of  the  shorter  period  are 
the  ones  who  consider  the  Hebrews  relatively  few  in  num- 
bers. 

The  Religious  Life  of  Israel  in  Egypt. — A  question  of 
much  interest  is  the  religious  life  of  the  Hebrews  during 
their  stay  in  Egypt.  Had  they  forgotten  the  splendid 
promises  made  to  Abraham?  If  they  remembered  them, 
had  they  lost  faith  in  them?  Did  they  feel  themselves 
abandoned  by  the  God  of  their  ancestors  ?  Examine  Exodus 
3.  7-10.  Is  Jehovah's  concern  of  which  he  speaks  to  Moses 
regarded  as  a  hitherto  unknown  truth?  Is  the  message 
of  3.  16,  17  to  be  given  to  the  elders,  the  message  of 
providence  and  redemption,  considered  a  new  message? 
Study  3.  18  and  5.  8.  Does  the  message  to  be  delivered  to 
Pharaoh  suggest  a  new  revelation  of  Jehovah  and  intimate 
that  they  were  unaccustomed  in  Egypt  to  sacrifice  to  Je- 
hovah ?  See  8.  25,  26.  Did  not  the  message  of  Jehovah's 
compassion  in  4.  31  come  as  a  new  message  of  hope  and 
inspiration  ?  If  the  worship  of  Jehovah  has  been  neglected 
and  forgotten  by  the  Hebrews,  what  is  the  explanation  ? 

Egyptian  Oppression. — Hebrew  historians  universally 
trace  the  departure  from  Egypt  to  hardships  endured  in 
connection  with  work  upon  public  buildings.  Two  stone 
cities,  Pithom  and  Raamses,  Exodus  1.  11,  are  said  to  have 
been  built  by  them  for  Pharaoh.  Other  traditions  reported 
that  they  labored  in  the  fields,  1.  14.  When  their  restless- 
ness under  these  afflictions  became  apparent,,  heavier  bur- 
dens were  laid  upon  them,  5.  6-9. 


THE  HEBREWS  IN  EGYPT  49 

The  Historical  Value  of  the  Biblical  Accounts. — No 

Egyptian  accounts  of  IsraeFs  bondage  have  come  to  light. 
However,  in  1883  the  ruins  of  Pithom  were  discovered  in 
the  Wady  Tumilat,  not  far  from  the  Suez  Canal  and  near 
the  eastern  end  of  the  railway  from  Cairo.  "Pithom  was 
a  square  city,  about  two  hundred  and  twenty  yards  in 
length,  inclosed  by  enormous  brick  walls,  and  containing 
store  chambers  built  of  brick,  and  a  temple.  The  store 
chambers  were  of  various  sizes,  rectangular  and  very  nu- 
merous. They  had  no  communication  with  one  another,  but 
could  be  filled  with  grain  from  the  top,  and  emptied  also 
from  above,  or  through  a  reserve  door  on  the  side.  They 
stood  on  a  thick  layer  of  beaten  clay,  which  would  prevent 
rats  from  getting  into  them.  Pithom  is  the  only  place 
where  such  granaries  have  hitherto  been  excavated.  It  is 
known,  from  inscriptions  discovered  on  the  spot,  that  the 
city  was  founded  by  Rameses  IF'  (McNeile,  The  Book  of 
Exodus,  p.  XCIII).  This  discovery  lends  support  to  the 
statement  of  Exodus  1.  11. 

The  sojourn  of  the  Hebrews  in  Egypt  was  deeply  in- 
grained into  the  nation  as  one  of  the  certain,  humiliating 
facts  of  their  ancestral  life.  There  is  nothing  in  Egjrptian 
history  to  make  these  facts  of  residence  and  servitude  in 
Egjrpt  improbable. 

The  various  accounts  of  the  numbers  of  the  Hebrews, 
the  place  of  residence,  and  the  length  of  the  sojourn  are 
best  accounted  for  by  the  modern  view  of  the  origin  of 
the  Pentateuch:  that  in  the  books  as  we  now  have  them 
several  lines  of  tradition  have  been  blended.  These  variant 
accounts  are  similar  enough  in  general  outline  to  become 
strong  proof  of  the  main  facts  of  the  life  of  the  Hebrews 
in  Egypt. 

The  Lesson  of  Servitude 

The  Effect  of  Servitude. — This  Egyptian  servitude  was 
not  without  beneficial  effect  upon  the  Hebrews.  The  vari- 
ous lines  of  traditions  offer  no  hint  of  an  exodus  before 
the  oppression  began.  When  Jacob  and  his  sons  migrated 
to  Egypt  and  under  Joseph's  protection  settled  there,  ap- 


50  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

parently  there  were  but  two  among  them,  Jacob  and  Joseph, 
who  realized  Jehovah's  purposes  and  clung  to  his  promises. 
The  brothers  and  their  families  were  ignorant  of  or  indif- 
ferent to  Jehovah's  program.  With  fine  pasturages  at  their 
disposal,  they  grew  prosperous  and  numerous.  Never  very 
spiritual,  these  brothers  and  their  children  cherished  lightly 
or  forgot  the  God  of  the  patriarchs.  They  ceased  to  sacri- 
fice to  him  and  worshiped,  after  the  manner  of  migrating 
tribes,  the  gods  of  the  land  in  which  they  dwelt.  Had 
no  oppression  arisen,  they  would  have  remained  perma- 
nently in  Egypt  and  God  would  have  had  to  choose  an- 
other people. 

Their  Sense  of  Solidarity. — As  long  as  Jacob's  sons  were 
unmolested  by  the  Egyptian  authorities,  there  was  no  great 
unity  among  the  clans.  They  were  accustomed  in  Canaan 
to  independent,  unsocial  views  and  deeds.  Genesis  34.  30; 
38.  1.  Oppression  undoubtedly  was  best  calculated  to 
awaken  the  national  spirit  among  them.  Hardship  in 
Egypt  would  revive  the  traditions  of  their  free  life  at 
Beersheba  and  Hebron.  Bondage  to  the  Egyptians  would 
reveal  the  differences  of  race  and  show  that  no  true  Hebrew 
genius  could  develop  in  alien  soil.  It  was  this  policy  of 
repression  and  servitude  which  awoke  within  the  Hebrews 
a  sense  of  their  own  racial  and  social  alienation.  The 
Egyptians  gloried  in  a  past  of  cities,  splendid  monuments, 
cultivated  fields,  and  commerce  with  distant  nations.  The 
traditions  of  the  Hebrews  were  of  tents,  desert  wastes,  beck- 
oning stars,  flocks  and  herds,  with  freedom  to  lead  them 
far  by  cool  streams  and  rolling  hills.  It  required  oppres- 
sion to  give  the  nomadic  ideal  its  former  lure,  to  quicken 
a  yearning  for  a  Deity  powerful  and  merciful,  and  to  break 
their  satisfaction  with  Egypt.  The  economic,  social,  and 
religious  conditions  which  fitted  them  to  receive  the  mes- 
sage of  Moses  were  created  by  oppression. 

Painful  Memories. — The  Egyptian  oppression  was  a  bit- 
ter experience  in  the  life  of  the  Hebrews.  The  hardships 
they  endured  long  haunted  the  memory  and  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  people.  Egypt  afterward  frequently  was  called 
*'the  iron  furnace,"  Deuteronomy  4.  20;  1  Kings  8.  51.    It 


THE  HEBREWS  IN  EGYPT  51 

was  a  grievous  bondage  from  which  they  were  powerless  to 
free  themselves,  Isaiah  11.  16;  Jeremiah  2.  6.  Their 
deliverance  in  their  hour  of  weakness  was  a  proverbial  act 
of  Jehovah's  grace,  Jeremiah  16.  14.  That  Jehovah  had 
brought  up  Israel  out  of  the  land  of  Egj^^t  was,  for  the 
prophets,  the  standing  proof  of  Jehovah's  willingness  and 
ability  to  accomplish  any  enterprise  for  Israel's  good. 
Judges  6.  7-10;  1  Samuel  10.  17-19;  Amos  3.  1;  Hosea 
13.4. 

Jehovah's  Grace. — However  much  they  had  forgotten 
Jehovah,  he  had  not  lost  sight  of  them.  Through  the 
years  of  their  neglect  he  had  watched  them  ceaselessly. 
Exodus  3.  16.  They  were  his  people,  3.  7.  His  silence 
through  the  years  was  not  due  to  Ms  unconcern,  but  to 
their  indifference.  When  affliction  had  taught  them  their 
own  helplessness,  they  were  in  the  mood  to  hear  Jehovah's 
messenger.  Their  sordid-mindedness  had  entrapped  them 
in  Egyptian  servitude.  Jehovah  in  his  grace  forgave  them 
and  redeemed  them. 

This  servitude  and  deliverance  stamped  themselves  upon 
the  memory  of  Israel.  It  settled  forever  that  they  were 
Jehovah's  people.  Without  him  they  would  have  been 
crushed  by  their  bondage  and  Israel  would  have  perished 
with  all  the  brilliant  patriarchal  promises  unfulfilled.  This 
experience  formed  a  basis  for  future  prophetic  appeals. 

*'I  removed  his  shoulder  from  the  burden : 
His  hands  were  freed  from  the  basket. 
Thou  calledat  in  trouble,  and  I  delivered  thee." 

—Psalm  81.  6,  7. 

Such  an  experience  was  priceless  in  the  future  development 
of  Israel's  religion. 

The  School  of  Adversity 

A  Useful  Teacher. — Adversity  is  a  teacher  sent  from 
God.  The  man  who  serves  God  does  not  ask  to  escape 
adversity.  He  asks,  only  for  the  presence  of  God.  **Ye 
meant  evil,  but  God  meant  good."    Let  men  have  Joseph's 


52  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

faith  and  all  goes  well.  There  is  evil  in  our  world;  pain, 
rough  roads,  dark  mysteries,  colossal  selfishness,  greed,  and 
often  bitter  quarrels,  these  things  will  burn  and  cut  their 
way  into  our  lives.  If  our  motives  are  pure,  and  if  we  have 
but  one  goal — the  upbuilding  of  God's  kingdom — it  is  our 
blessed  privilege  to  pull  the  sting  from  every  adversity  by 
knowing  that  '^God  meant  it  for  good.''  The  King  him- 
self reached  his  throne  by  carrying  a  cross. 

The  Disasters  of  Prosperity. — It  is  impossible  now  to 
know  to  what  extent  Jehovah  was  worshiped  by  the  He- 
brews before  their  entrance  into  Egypt.  But  the  motive 
which  called  them  there  was  material  prosperity.  It  was 
inevitable  that  sojourners  in  Egypt  should  worship  Egyp- 
tian gods.  Bent  on  multiplying  flocks  and  herds,  the  wor- 
ship, then,  and  even  the  memory  of  Jehovah,  passed  away 
among  the  Hebrews.  They  ceased  to  build  altars,  and  to 
offer  sacrifices  to  Jehovah.  Material  success  far  too  often 
stifles  the  life  of  the  Spirit.  Prosperity  in  material  goods 
so  often  breaks  up  the  f raternalism  in  which  all  truly  great 
life  roots,  and  unconsciously  robs  man  of  his  sense  of  de- 
pendence upon  God.  The  pursuit  of  wealth  usually  im- 
poverishes the  soul. 

The  World's  Insistent  Emphasis. — There  is  a  bitter 
struggle  between  wealth  and  poverty,  between  oligarchy 
and  democracy.  This  conflict,  although  as  old  as  civiliza- 
tion itself,  to-day  stirs  every  aspect  of  life  with  new  in- 
tensity. What  seems  to  be  new  is  the  belief  of  all  classes 
that  a  greater  measure  of  wealth  and  the  physical  goods 
which  wealth  controls,  possessed  by  every  individual,  will 
operate  automatically  for  the  enrichment  of  life.  While 
it  is  true  that  poverty,  disease,  ignorance,  and  vice  have 
logical  relationship,  it  is  not  true  that  the  possession  of 
money  guarantees  a  rich  spiritual  life.  The  trend  of 
modern  social  thinking  and  action  is  to  lessen  the  in- 
equality of  wealth  and  to  secure  each  individual  in  the 
possession  of  sufficient  wealth  to  render  the  physical  con- 
ditions of  life  wholesome  and  pleasant.  But  even  this  goal, 
when  it  is  reached,  will  not  have  provided  the  ultimate 
satisfaction. 


THE  HEBREWS  IN  EGYPT  53 

Religion's  Supreme  Emphasis. — We  ought  to  assist  all 
efforts  to  democratize  the  wealth  of  the  world.  But  reli- 
gion has  a  fuller  message  than  to  proclaim  the  gospel  of 
prosperity.  Religion  insists  unceasingly  upon  the  primacy 
of  the  spiritual — upon  the  immanence  of  God  and  the  lord- 
ship of  the  soul.  The  servant  of  God  must  labor  to  make 
it  ever  impossible  for  men  to  listen  to  the  lure  of  the  outer 
world.  Religion  must  ever  strive  to  make  the  spiritual 
world  real.  The  mind  of  society  is  diseased:  men  rest 
content  in  the  obvious  and  near  at  hand.  We  must  bring 
the  vision  of  eternity  into  this  near-sighted  world.  Chris- 
tianity is  more  than  an  economic  gospel.  It  is  the  music 
of  the  Spirit  come  unto  its  own  in  a  grossly  material  world. 
It  is  a  vision  and  an  experience:  the  sight  of  the  distant 
spiritual  fatherland  and  a  life  in  the  fullness  of  love,  truth, 
and  peace. 

Questions  fob  Class  Discussion 

1.  Describe  the  life  of  the  Hebrews  in  Egypt.  What  cor- 
roborative testimony  concerning  their  employment  is  offered 
by  archaeology? 

2.  What  was  the  social  effect  of  their  servitude  upon  them? 

3.  What  inference  concerning  their  life  in  Egypt  may  be 
drawn  from  the  references  of  later  writers  to  their  Egyptian 
servitude? 

4.  Which  is  more  conducive  to  piety — poverty  or  wealth? 

5.  What  have  pain  and  suffering  done  for  the  development 
of  character? 

6.  What  virtues  are  created  or  emphasized  by  war? 

7.  Which  is  more  injurious  to  the  social  order — poverty  or 
inequality  of  wealth? 

8.  Is  political  or  economic  mastery  of  races  or  groups  of 
individuals  by  officials  who  are  irresponsible  to  the  people  ever 
morally  justifiable? 

Additional  Lesson  Material 

Smith,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  52-56. 
Kent,  Biblical  Geography  and  History,  pp.  106-111. 
McNeile,  The  Book  of  Exodus,  pp.  xcii-xciv,  12-14. 
Peritz,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  64-67. 


CHAPTER  VII 
THE  DELIVERANCE  FROM  EGYPT 

The  deliverance  of  the  Hebrews  from  Egypt  is  the  most 
striking  event  of  IsraePs  history,  and  its  religious  signifi- 
cance never  was  exhausted  for  Old  Testament  writers.  This 
lesson  is  very  closely  connected  with  the  preceding.  The 
better  the  bondage  in  Egypt  is  understood,  the  more  notable 
is  the  deliverance;  the  truer  the  conception  held  of  the 
process  of  deliverance,  the  more  clearly  is  seen  the  blight- 
ing nature  of  the  Egyptian  servitude.  This  lesson  presents 
the  forces  at  work  in  the  escape  of  the  Hebrews  from  Egypt 
and  the  place  which  this  event  holds  in  Israel's  religion. 

The  Factors  of  Deliveeance 

Moses  and  His  Work.— (a)  Read  the  account  of  his 
birth  and  preservation.  Exodus  2. 1-10 ;  his  flight  to  Midian, 
2. 11-15 ;  his  marriage,  2. 16-22 ;  his  occupation,  3. 1.  It  will 
be  noted  that  two  names  are  current  for  the  father-in-law 
of  Moses,  namely,  Jethro,  Exodus  3.  1 ;  and  Hobab,  Num- 
bers 10.  29.  In  Exodus  2.  18  the  name  is  given  as  Reuel. 
It  was  an  extraordinary  kindness  for  Moses  to  assist  women 
at  the  well.  It  insured  for  him  a  kindly  welcome  in  the 
house  of  Jethro.  Note  that,  although  Moses  did  not  share 
the  hard  labor  of  the  Hebrews,  his  heart  burned  to  lighten 
their  intolerable  burdens.  Sympathy  and  zeal  he  had,  but 
he  lacked  the  great  steadying,  judgment-giving  inspiration 
of  Jehovah's  guidance. 

(&)  Read  3.  1-12.  Note  that  Jethro,  the  father-in-law 
of  Moses,  was  a  priest.  According  to  18.  10-12,  Jethro 
officiated  at  a  sacrifice  at  which  the  leading  Hebrews  were 
guests.  This  sacrifice  was  offered  to  Jehovah.  It  was 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Jehovah's  sacred  mountain  that 
Moses  received  his  call.  A  new  vision  of  God  ever  is  a 
sublime  spiritual  miracle.  Read  again  the  beautiful  words 
in  which  Moses  is  summoned  to  his  great  work. 

54 


THE  DELIVERANCE  FROM  EGYPT  55 

(c)  Read  Joshua  24.  14.  Estimate  the  character  and 
genius  of  this  Moses,  who  brought  his  enslaved  brethren  the 
message  from  Jehovah  so  convincingly  that  he  overcame 
their  suspicions  and  fears  and  filled  them  with  the  courage 
to  face  Pharaoh^s  angry  opposition.  Read  to  the  end  of 
chapter  fourteen.  Note  the  patience  of  Moses  with  the 
complaining  people,  5.  20-31;  6.  9;  his  persistent  pressing 
of  his  case  upon  Pharaoh,  8.  26 ;  10.  9,  10,  etc. ;  his  constant 
dependence  upon  Jehovah,  5.  22;  6.  12.  Note  the  final 
judgment  passed  upon  Moses  by  the  delivered  people, 
14.  31. 

The  Self -Revelation  of  Jehovah. —  (a)  Read  carefully 
Exodus  3.  13-15.  According  to  the  Ephraimite  tradition 
here  embodied  in  the  narrative,  it  is  implied  by  Moses 
that  the  name  of  this  redeeming  Deity  who  sends  him  to 
Egypt  is  unknown  to  the  Hebrews  in  Egypt.  Read  also 
6.  2-8.  Here  it  is  stated  that  while  the  God  who  now  com- 
missions Moses  is  the  same  God  whom  the  patriarchs  wor- 
shiped, the  name  "Jehovah^^  was  not  known  to  them. 
Moses  is  the  first  Hebrew  who  hears  this  name  of  Deity 
and  this  revelation  of  his  real  personal  name  is  his  most 
convincing  assurance  to  the  Hebrews  in  Egypt  that  he 
will  lead  them  out  of  their  bondage.  Read  Exodus  3.  4- 
6  and  notice  that  Moses  is  told  that  the  Deity  who  now 
speaks  to  him,  and  whom  as  a  member  of  Jethro's  family 
he  had  come  to  worship  (3.  1  and  chapter  18),  and  whose 
name  is  Jehovah  (3.  4),  is  also  the  God  of  his  ancestors. 

Jehovah's  Coercive  Measures  with  Pharaoh. — (a) 
Whether  the  plagues  were  an  unusual  assemblage  of  natural 
phenomena  or  miracles  as  this  word  is  popularly  under- 
stood, consider  whether  anything  less  than  an  extraor- 
dinary series  of  events,  capable  of  a  religious  interpretation, 
would  have  won  Pharaoh^s  consent  to  the  migration  of  a 
great  body  of  slaves?  Read  10.  8-11;  10.  24;  12.  30-32 
and  observe  that  the  various  plagues  served  to  wring  from 
Pharaoh,  one  by  one,  concessions  which  ended  not  only  in 
deliverance,  but  also  in  his  desire  for  a  blessing  from 
Jehovah. 

(b)  Note,  further,  Jehovah's  restraint  of  the  Egyptians 


56  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

in  the  illuminated  cloud  barring  their  pursuit,  14.  20-21, 
and  in  the  overthrow  of  their  forces  in  the  sea,  14.  23-28. 
Careful  students  of  the  Bible  will  recall  that  Israel's  reli- 
gion did  not  become  a  monotheism  until  the  time  of  the 
prophets.  Consider  what  this  deliverance,  ever  the  wonder 
of  the  people,  would  contribute  to  the  belief  that  Jehovah 
was  the  God  not  only  of  the  Hebrews,  but  also  of  the  whole 
earth. 

The  Religious  Significance  of  the  Exodus 

The  Work  of  Genius. — Moses  is  one  of  the  world's  great- 
est men.  The  work  he  did  changed  beyond  all  telling  the 
world's  history.  No  Hebrew  did  more  for  his  nation's 
civil  and  religious  life  than  he.  His  contribution  to  the 
world's  religion  is  profoundly  significant.  He  awoke  his 
discontented,  Egyptianized  brethren  into  a  hopeful  free 
people  and  inspired  them  to  accept,  if  not  a  new  Deity, 
such  new  revelations  of  the  character  and  purpose  of  the 
God  of  their  ancestors  that  the  magnitude  of  his  achieve- 
ments remains  the  marvel  of  the  nation's  history. 

A  Spiritual  Miracle. — It  was  not  what  Moses  wrote,  but 
what  Moses  believed,  which  lifts  his  name  among  the  great 
ones  of  the  earth.  Moses  took  with  him  into  Midian  a 
burning  sense  of  Egj^ptian  injustice  to  his  race  and  an  un- 
disciplined zeal  to  mitigate  his  people's  burdens.  As  a 
member  of  Jethro's  family,  he  finds  that  the  God  of  the 
patriarchs  is  now  speaking  in  terms  of  authority  and  grace 
at  Horeb  (Sinai)  and  receives  from  him  the  assurance 
that  he  will  lead  his  people  out  of  bondage  into  a  fertile 
land.  This  message  was  new  to  Moses.  This  is  the  miracle 
of  miracles:  that  the  soul  of  Moses  was  so  fired  by  his 
discovery  that  he  was  ready  to  undertake  the  stupendous 
task  of  instilling  his  groaning  and  embittered  countrymen 
with  unparalleled  hope  and  energy.  This  faith  that  Je- 
hovah who  had  revealed  himself  at  Horeb  could  and  would 
deliver  the  Hebrews  from  their  grievous  bondage  never 
left  him,  and  his  efforts  never  faltered  through  months  of 
doubt  and  complaining  by  his  brethren  and  the  sturdy 
insolent  opposition  of  their  royal  oppressor. 


THE  DELIVEKANCE  FROM  EGYPT  57 

Israel's  Greatest  Event. — From  any  point  of  view,  the 
Exodus,  as  the  biblical  narratives  present  it,  is  the  most 
significant  event  of  IsraeFs  history  up  to  that  time.  It 
became  for  centuries  the  shining  illustration  of  Jehovah's 
power  and  redeeming  grace.  It  quickened  in  them  the 
spirit  to  enter  Canaan,  preached  for  generations  a  gospel 
of  hope,  and  became  among  the  prophets  an  argument  for 
justice  and  righteousness. 

These  narratives  of  deliverance  set  forth  also  one  of  the 
permanent  contributions  of  IsraeFs  religion  to  the  religion 
of  the  world:  through  man  and  nature  God  works  his 
purposes,  and  there  is  none  to  thwart  his  will;  all  events, 
whether  good  or  ill,  as  men  count  good  and  ill,  are  the 
acts  of  God.  The  reluctance  of  Moses,  the  unbelief  of  the 
Hebrews,  the  stubbornness  of  Pharaoh,  are  divinely 
grounded  as  well  as  their  obedience,  belief,  and  softened 
heart.  Bush,  mountain,  river,  sea,  and  clouds  are  alive 
with  his  presence  and  respond  to  his  will.  There  is  no 
chance  in  his  universe,  and  he  uses  no  intermediary  to 
express  his  will. 

The  God-Sent  Man 

Wasted  Lives. — A  man's  life  is  wasted  until  he  finds 
God.  Two  thirds  of  the  life  of  Moses  counted  little  in 
the  estimate  of  the  Hebrew  historians.  His  true  life  be- 
gan when  he  met  Jehovah.  This  is  true  of  every  in- 
dividual. Living  for  self  is  wasting  life.  The  pursuit  of 
greed  and  lust  is  the  pursuit  of  phantoms.  To  seek  ease 
and  prosperity  is  to  drop  out  of  the  procession  of  great 
men.  God  has  for  each  man  a  task  big  enough  to  lift 
him  into  immortality.  A  God-disciplined  man  is  a  God- 
reenforced  man.  The  human  will  which  is  freely  cap- 
tive to  the  Divine  will  is  not  imprisoned  but  is  for  the  first 
time  set  at  liberty.  The  flight  of  Moses  was  his  matchless 
opportunity.  "Man's  extremity  is  God's  opportunity."  It 
is  the  God-sent  men  who  arrive. 

The  Arrival  of  God's  Commissions. — The  revelation  came 
to  Moses  as  he  kept  his  flocks.  It  is  God's  rule  to  give 
to  him  only  who  is  faithful  to  the  task  in  hand  the  vision 


58  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

of  the  larger  duty.  A  slacker  is  never  promoted  in  the 
army  of  God.  An  idler  is  never  chosen  an  ambassador  of 
God's  kingdom.  The  man  and  woman  who  are  faithfully 
following  the  light  they  have  are  the  only  ones  who  will 
receive  a  clearer  vision.  Then,  too,  God  reveals  his  deeper 
secrets  only  to  reflective  souls.  The  eastern  shepherd's 
life  is  lived  largely  in  solitude.  It  takes  time  to  meditate 
upon  the  mysteries  of  life.  Any  business  or  amusement 
which  gives  no  opportunity  for  serious  thought  is  the  dread 
enemy  of  man.    "It  takes  time  to  be  holy." 

God's  Message  to  His  Messenger. — What  was  the  big 
thing  in  the  new  vision  of  God  which  came  to  Moses  ?  It 
was  the  conviction  that  God  is  on  the  side  of  righteousness : 
that  he  interests  himself  in  labors  and  movements  to  secure 
social  justice.  This  is  the  new  grand  idea  which  through 
Moses  was  given  to  the  world.  Here  is  the  real  begin- 
ning of  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  God  is  on  the  side 
of  righteousness,  justice,  and  truth.  God  seeks  the  human 
values,  and  whenever  any  man  glimpses  these  afar,  God 
calls  him  into  fellowship  and  gives  him  a  great  commis- 
sion. Such  a  man  becomes  a  just  employer  of  men.  He 
sees  in  all  of  his  employees  fellow  men,  his  brothers  and 
God's  sons.  He  sees  the  iniquity  of  every  custom,  business, 
and  social  institution  which  lives  upon  the  debauchery  of 
men  and  women.  He  hastens  by  his  speech,  his  prayers, 
and  his  gifts  the  Christianizing  of  the  most  alien  races. 

Topics  for  Class  Consideration 

1.  State  what  is  known  of  Moses'  birth,  training,  and  char- 
HrCter. 

2.  What  qualities  in  Moses  fitted  him  to  be  the  liberator  of 
his  people? 

3.  Discuss  the  achievement  of  Moses  as  a  task  of  evangel- 
ism; as  the  accomplishment  of  a  political  organizer;  as  the 
work  of  a  social  reformer. 

4.  What  is  the  most  satisfactory  explanation  of  the  plagues? 

5.  Which  theory  of  Jehovah's  relation  to  the  Hebrews  in 
the  patriarchal  age  is  most  satisfactory? 

6.  Why  is  the  Exodus  the  most  significant  event  of  Hebrew 
history? 

7.  Upon  what  does  the  recognition  of  the  greatness  of  Moses 
rest? 


THE  DELIVERANCE  FEOM  EGYPT  59 

8.  What  type  of  individual  is  most  likely  to  receive  new 
revelations  of  the  purposes  of  God? 

Helpful  Additional  Material 

Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  98-114. 
Smith,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  56-67. 
Kent,  Biblical  Geography  and  History,  pp.  111-114. 
McNeile,  The  Book  of  Exodus,  pp.  xciv-cxvi,  42-46. 
Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,   articles,   "Moses"  and 
"Exodus." 


CHAPTEE  VIII 
A  COVENANT  PEOPLE 

As  soon  as  the  Hebrews  were  free  from  the  Egyptians, 
Moses  led  his  people  to  the  sacred  mountain  where  he  had 
received  his  revelation  and  commission  from  Jehovah.  This 
mountain  sometimes  is  called  Horeb,  sometimes  Sinai.  It 
is  impossible  nov/  to  determine  its  precise  location.  Old 
Testament  references  point  to  one  of  the  peaks  of  Mount 
Seir  east  of  the  Gulf  of  Akabah.  At  this  place  the  people 
were  to  hear  formally  that  Jehovah  had  chosen  them  for 
his  people  and  they  were  in  the  same  deliberate  fashion  to 
make  him  their  God.  This  covenant  in  a  very  real  sense 
was  the  beginning  of  Israel's  history.  The  solemn  pact  now 
made  became  the  new  beginning  of  the  nation's  religious 
life.  This  lesson  sets  forth  what  this  covenant  involved 
and  its  significance  in  the  growth  of  Israel's  religion. 

The  Making  of  a  Covenant 

The  Contracting  Parties. — Eead  Exodus  19.  Here  is 
the  record  of  the  origin  of  the  covenant  between  Jehovah 
and  the  nation  Israel.  Recall  the  situation  of  the  Hebrews 
in  Egypt  and  their  condition  in  the  wilderness,  and  form 
an  idea  of  their  political  and  religious  needs.  To  what 
extent  would  the  common  worship  of  the  same  God  whom 
the  people  believed  to  be  trustworthy  and  powerful  con- 
tribute to  national  life  and  to  victory  over  those  who 
opposed  their  entrance  into  Canaan  ?  With  such  a  wonder- 
provoking  deliverance  so  recently  wrought  for  them  by 
Jehovah,  what  would  be  their  attitude  toward  the  proposed 
covenant  ?  State  clearly  the  needs  of  the  Hebrews  for  such 
a  covenant.  What  would  it  do  for  them  politically  ?  What 
changes  would  ensue  in  their  religion?  What  purpose 
probably  moved  Jehovah,  from  the  point  of  view  of  Moses 
and  his  people,  to  obligate  himself  in  such  fashion  to 

60 


A  COVENANT  PEOPLE  61 

Israel?  What  would  the  enlightened  Christian  mind  of 
to-day  say  were  the  motives  of  God  in  so  dealing  with 
Israel ? 

The  Obligations  Involved. — Moses  brought  to  the  peo- 
ple the  requirements  of  Jehovah,  and  the  people  solemnly 
promised  to  fulfill  Jehovah^s  commands.  "Moses  came  and 
told  the  people  all  the  words  of  Jehovah,  and  all  the  ordi- 
nances: and  all  the  people  answered  with  one  voice,  and 
said,  All  the  words  which  Jehovah  hath  spoken  will  we 
do,^'  Exodus  24.  3.  What  these  requirements  were  will  be 
considered  more  fully  in  the  next  chapter.  From  this  an- 
swer of  the  people,  would  the  word  ^^obedience''  cover  the 
obligations  which  the  covenant  required  from  the  people? 
Eead  Exodus  19.  4-6.  Notice  also  verse  5.  What  is  here 
required  from  the  people?  Does  this  differ  from  24.  3? 
What  is  Jehovah's  obligation  in  19.  5  ?  Recall  3.  8.  Would 
not  the  promise  of  securing  the  Hebrews  in  the  possession 
of  Canaan  enter  into  the  covenant  ? 

The  Covenant  Sealed.— Eead  Exodus  24.  4-8.  Notice 
the  details  of  the  sacrifice  which  bound  the  people  to  Je- 
hovah and  him  to  them:  the  location  of  the  altar  by  the 
sacred  mountain,  the  pillars  (Mazzeboth),  the  officiating 
young  men,  and  the  animals  slain.  Note  especially  the  act 
of  Moses  in  verses  6  and  8.  Observe  that  Moses,  who  is  not 
regarded  by  later  Israel  as  a  priest,  here  acts  as  a  judge  be- 
fore whom  the  parties  of  the  covenant  take  a  solemn  oath 
to  keep  their  obligations.  The  blood  sprinkled  upon  Je- 
hovah's altar  binds  him  to  keep  his  promises  and  the  blood 
of  the  sacrificial  victims  sprinkled  upon  the  people  also 
sacredly  enforces  upon  them  their  obligations.  Early 
Israel,  like  other  primitive  peoples,  knew  no  more  solemn 
way  to  seal  a  contract. 

The  Significance  of  the  Covenant 

A  Turning  Point  in  World's  History. — This  phrase  does 
not  overstate  the  importance  of  this  scene  at  Sinai  (Horeb). 
There  is  no  doubt  about  the  fact  that  the  political  life  of 
Israel  is  what  it  is  through  the  unifying  and  strengthening 
influences  of  the  nation's  religious'^ life.    This  religion,  as 


63  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

far  as  the  nation  is  concerned,  dates  its  formal  beginnings 
at  Sinai.  The  very  soul  of  the  people's  life  is  the  covenant 
which  binds  them  to  Jehovah.  Upon  this  thread  may  be 
strung  all  the  varying  vicissitudes  of  Israel's  life. 

A  Unique  Conception  of  Religion. — It  inaugurated  a 
new  type  of  religion  in  the  world.  The  religions  of  the 
neighbors  of  Israel  were  purely  natural  religions.  The 
relation  of  Deity  and  worshipers  was  a  relation  of  kinship 
with  whose  origin  the  worshiper  had  nothing  to  do  and 
which  relation  he  could  not  break.  Here  beside  cloud- 
canopied  Sinai  a  new  order  of  religion  burst  into  life.  It 
was  a  religion  of  choice.  Jehovah  chose  his  people  and  the 
people  chose  their  Deity.  It  was  quite  possible  for  them 
to  have  followed  the  worship  of  other  gods.  But  with  the 
evidence  before  them  of  the  strength  and  grace  of  Jehovah 
and  conscious  of  their  deep  needs,  they  entered  into  a 
solemn  compact  of  loyalty,  obedience,  and  worship.  In 
his  ways  they  would  walk  and  by  his  Judgments  they  would 
abide.  It  would  be  Jehovah's  good  pleasure  to  make  Israel 
his  people,  to  lead  them  against  their  enemies,  to  conduct 
them  victoriously  into  Canaan  and  to  exalt  them  above 
all  nations. 

The  Value  of  the  Covenant. — The  value  of  this  covenant 
is  not  to  be  judged  by  the  meagerness  of  its  moral  con- 
tent at  the  time  of  its  enactment.  The  earliest  narratives 
may  not  exhibit  the  lofty  ethical  ideals  of  the  prophetic 
age.  The  value  of  the  covenant  lies  rather  in  the  fact  that 
this  religion  based  on  choice  forced  Israel,  when  afflictions 
befell  them,  to  raise  the  question  whether  their  own  conduct 
had  displeased  Jehovah.  They  could  not  suppose  that  he 
who  had  delivered  them  from  Egypt  and  settled  them  in 
Canaan  was  powerless  to  aid  them.  They  turned  rather 
to  inspect  their  own  lives  and  in  that  self-examination 
God  found  the  opportunity  to  reveal  his  higher  will. 

This  early  covenant  then  became  the  opportunity  for  an 
increasing  enrichment  of  religion  in  morals  and  devoted 
fellowship.  It  apparently  was  the  one  way  out  of  super- 
stition, sensualism,  and  ritual  worship.  We  shall  have 
occasion  in  future  lessons  to  study  the  worth  to  the  world 


A  COVENANT  PEOPLE  63 

of  IsraePs  covenant  religion.  But  consider  here,  as  an 
instance  of  the  way  of  progress,  the  development  of  the 
belief  that  Jehovah  loves  Israel.  The  earliest  accounts  of 
the  Exodus  barely  suggest  the  love  of  Jehovah  for  his 
people.  Compassion  for  them  and  loyalty  to  his  ancient 
promises  are  the  motives  of  deliverance.  But  later  reli- 
gious thinkers,  reflecting  upon  the  strange  interest  of 
Jehovah  in  a  people  who  worshiped  him  not,  declared  that 
Jehovah  had  chosen  Israel,  not  because  of  their  merits, 
but  because  he  loved  them.  Compare  Exodus  19.  4,  with 
its  tender  guarding  of  Jehovah  expressed  in  the  fine 
imagery  of  an  eagle  bearing  its  young  to  its  nest,  and  the 
love  which  follows  Israel  through  all  defections,  so  beauti- 
fully breathing  in  Hosea  11.  1-4. 

The  Reality  of  Revelation. — Surely  no  earnest  mind  can 
contemplate  this  history  of  the  Exodus  and  this  narrative 
of  the  covenant  at  the  sacred  mountain  without  feeling 
that  the  God,  whom  we  have  come  to  know  through  Jesus 
Christ  and  through  the  growing  consciousness  of  God  dur- 
ing the  Christian  centuries,  here  has  impressed  upon  Israel 
something  of  his  own  mind  and  purpose  in  a  uniquely 
real  and  vivid  fashion.  We  may  not  have  the  exact  records 
of  that  transaction  at  Sinai.  But  from  that  fountain  of 
communication  and  fellowship  has  flowed  a  peculiarly  rich 
stream  of  ethically  religious  life.  If  we  believe  in  God  at 
all,  if  we  believe  that  he  has  a  purpose  for  mankind,  if 
we  think  of  him  as  the  Sovereign  of  human  history  and 
human  destiny,  these  records  of  the  covenant  where  God 
and  Israel  took  hold  of  each  other  ever  will  signify  to  us 
a  real  and  genuine  communication  of  God  to  mankind. 

Covenant  Religion 

Bargain-Counter  Religion. — There  is  a  type  of  religion 
which  rejoices  in  the  cheapness  with  which  the  sense  of 
forgiveness  of  sins  may  be  secured.  "Jesus  paid  it  all," 
"I  am  glad  salvation's  free,''  are  songs  of  those  who  be- 
lieve themselves  to  have  entered  the  Kingdom  through  the 
cross  of  Jesus  alone.  They  never  seem  to  have  heard  that 
the  Master  declared,  *^^If  any  man  would  come  after  me. 


64  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross,  and  follow 
me.'^  It  is  a  narrow  gate  by  which  we  enter  into  great 
religious  experiences.  The  process  of  redemption  is  costly, 
and  every  person  who  enters  into  the  kingdom  of  God 
does  so  through  costly  sacrifice  of  himself  in  the  interests 
of  holy  living.  The  best  of  Israelis  religious  thinkers  never 
believed  that  men  could  set  themselves  in  right  relation  to 
God  by  easy  promises. 

Covenant  Religion. — Jesus  said  that  the  high  seats  in 
his  kingdom  went  to  the  greatest  servants.  God's  best 
for  us  awaits  our  best  for  him.  Even  if  we  forget  God 
or  curse  him,  there  are  many  things  which  he  does  for  us. 
But  unless  we  have  prepared  ourselves  by  thought  and 
deeds,  the  religion  of  comradeship  with  God  is  not  ours. 
All  true  religion  is  mutual  service.  If  we  are  to  live  with 
God,  we  must  serve  God.  If  Christ's  cross  is  to  advantage 
us,  we  must  carry  one  also  and  toil  with  him  toward  some 
Golgotha.  Genuine  religion  is  covenant  religion.  Faith 
without  works  is  dead.  Works  apart  from  fellowship  are 
not  religion.  God  does  his  best  for  us  after  we  have 
promised  to  do  our  best  for  him.  True  religion  is  ever  a 
compact  between  man  and  God :  "If  a  man  love  me,  he  will 
keep  my  word :  and  my  Father  will  love  him,  and  we  will 
come  unto  him,  and  make  our  abode  with  him." 

The  Wages  of  God. — It  is  a  common  thing  to  speak  of 
the  gifts  of  God.  What  does  God  give  us?  He  gives  us 
everything.  Food,  shelter,  clothing,  friends,  and  loved 
ones,  business  and  pleasure,  even  life  itself,  root  in  the 
gracious  will  of  God.  Then,  too,  he  gives  us  nothing. 
Even  his  air  is  not  ours  until  we  breathe  it.  We  must 
actively  enter  into  life  or  else  we  have  no  life.  God's  gifts 
are  the  rewards  of  our  action.  They  are  the  wages  of  our 
labors.  Until  we  have  proved  ourselves  worthy  of  his 
fellowship  by  earnest  action  in  behalf  of  individual  and 
social  righteousness,  we  do  not  enjoy  it.  Paul  understood 
that  he  could  not  enter  into  fellowship  with  Jesus  apart 
from  sufferings  endured  in  behalf  of  the  Kingdom  which 
glowed  in  the  Master's  soul.  The  life  of  Jesus  was  a 
continual  Calvary.     He  ever  carried  on  in  behalf  of  a 


A  COVENANT  PEOPLE  65 

great  ideal,  but  at  Capernaum,  at  Gethsemane,  and  at 
Golgotha  he  passed  through  doors  which  excluded  all  who 
could  not  choose  with  him  life's  last  sacrifice.  God  always 
calls  men  to  himself  by  the  way  of  the  cross. 

Topics  for  Class  Discussion 

1.  What  was  the  unifying  experience  which  made  national 
life  possible  for  the  Hebrews? 

2.  What  are  the  unique  elements  in  early  Hebrew  religion? 

3.  In  general,  what  did  Israel  at  Sinai  pledge  to  do  for 
Jehovah? 

4.  What  did  the  people  believe  Jehovah  required  from  them? 

5.  What  was  the  unifying  principle  of  the  religion  of  Israel's 
neighbors? 

6.  What  is  the  moral  significance  of  the  covenant  idea? 

7.  How  much  religion  ever  is  given  to  men? 

8.  By  what  methods  and  motives  do  social  reforms  take 
place? 

References 

Some  excellent  remarks  on  the  covenant  are  made  by  G.  A. 
Smith,  Modern  Criticism  and  the  Preaching  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, page  137f.  Budde,  The  Religion  of  Israel  to  the  Exile, 
pages  25-38,  considers  the  covenant-idea  to  be  the  germ  of 
ethical  development  in  Israel's  religion.  Kautzsch,  "The  Re- 
ligion of  Israel,"  in  Hastings's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  Vol. 
v.,  page  630f.,  states  the  modern  view  of  the  historicity  of  the 
covenant  and  its  function  in  Israel's  religion. 


CHAPTER  IX 

MORAL  FORCES  IN  NATION-BUILDING:  THE 
MORAL  LAW 

Every  student  of  the  Old  Testament  who  is  somewhat 
familiar  also  with  IsraeFs  neighbors  is  aware  of  the  im- 
mense moral  superiority  of  the  Hebrew  people.  Israel's 
religion  from  the  beginning  expressed  itself  not  only  in 
a  ritual  of  worship,  but  also  in  moral  precepts.  It  is  the 
glory  of  the  people  that  each  truer  conception  of  God 
revealed  to  them  ever  involved  finer  moral  ideals  and  con- 
victions. These  ethical  beliefs  were  held  as  commands 
from  Jehovah.  They  were  grounded  in  the  Divine  Will. 
Consequently  the  conception  of  moral  law — moral  precepts 
laid  down  by  supreme  authority — characterizes  Israel's 
religion.  The  "thou  shalt  nots"  of  the  various  codes  never 
carried  the  impotence  of  merely  human  councils :  they  were 
pregnant  with  Jehovah's  might.  He  had  marked  the 
proper  human  paths  and  he  stood  ready  to  enforce  his  will. 

The  book  of  Exodus  contains  in  chapters  20  to  23  and 
in  34  certain  ethical  enactments  the  origin  of  which  the 
writer  traces  to  the  Sinai  period  of  Israel's  history.  At 
the  head  of  this  legislation,  in  Exodus  20,  stands  the  Ten 
Commandments  or  Decalogue.  These  are  repeated  with 
some  variations  in  Deuteronomy  5.  Another  set  of  com- 
mandments appears  in  Exodus  34.  Our  present  lesson  is 
to  estimate  the  value,  in  Israel's  religion,  of  these  codes  of 
law. 

The  Decalogues 

Three  Groups  of  Ten  Commandments. — As  stated  above 
the  Old  Testament  writings  contain  three  sets  of  Ten  Com- 
mandments, all  of  which  are  referred  to  the  covenant  at 
Sinai  for  their  origin.  Since  all  of  them  cannot  have 
been  written  on  the  tables  of  stone  which,  according  to 

66 


MOEAL  FORCES  IN  NATION-BUILDING      67 

Hebrew  tradition,  were  prepared  at  the  time  of  the  Sinaitic 
covenant,  it  is  an  exceedingly  interesting  and  important 
question  to  determine  as  nearly  as  possible  what  was  the 
basis  of  this  covenant  made  with  Jehovah  at  his  sacred 
mountain.  Exodus  34.  28  states  that  Moses  "wrote  upon 
the  tables  the  words  of  the  covenant,  the  ten  command- 
ments." These  words  are  a  part  of  the  oldest  Hebrew 
records.  They  make  clear  that  a  group  of  Ten  Command- 
ments formed  the  basis  of  the  covenant  made  at  Sinai. 
What  were  these  commandments  ? 

The  Decalogue  in  Deuteronomy.— Read  Deuteronomy  6. 
1-22.  According  to  this  writer,  Jehovah  made  a  covenant 
with  Israel  at  Horeb;  the  contents  of  this  covenant  were 
written  by  Jehovah  upon  two  tables  of  stone;  and  the 
covenant  consisted  of  the  following  requirements. 

1.  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me. 

2.  Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  a  graven  image,  nor 
any  likeness  of  anything  that  is  in  heaven  above,  or  that 
is  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  is  in  the  water  under  the 
earth:  thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself  unto  them,  nor 
serve  them;  for  I,  Jehovah,  thy  God,  am  a  jealous  God, 
visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,  and 
upon  the  third  and  upon  the  fourth  generation  of  them  that 
hate  me;  and  showing  lovingkindness  unto  thousands  of 
them  that  love  me  and  keep  my  commandments. 

3.  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  Jehovah  thy  God  in 
vain:  for  Jehovah  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that  taketh 
his  name  in  vain. 

4.  Observe  the  sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy,  as  Jehovah 

thy  God  commanded  thee.    Six  days  shalt  thou  labor,  and 

do  all  thy  work;  but  the  seventh  day  is  a  sabbath  unto 
Jehovah  thy  God:  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou, 
nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  nor  thy  man-servant,  nor 
thy  maid-servant,  nor  thine  ox,  nor  thine  ass,  nor  any  of 
thy  cattle,  nor  thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates ;  that 
thy  man-servant  and  thy  maid-servant  may  rest  as  well  as 
thou.    And  thou  shalt  remember  that  thou  wast  a  servant 


68  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  Jehovah  thy  God  brought  thee 
out  thence  by  a  mighty  hand  and  by  an  outstretched  arm : 
therefore  Jehovah  thy  God  commanded  thee  to  keep  the 
sabbath  day. 

5.  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  as  Jehovah  thy 
God  commanded  thee ;  that  thy  days  may  be  long,  and  that 

it  may  go  well  with  thee,  in  the  land  which  Jehovah  thy 
God  giveth  thee. 

6.  Thou  Shalt  not  kill. 

7.  Neither  shalt  thou  commit  adultery. 

8.  Neither  shalt  thou  steal. 

9.  Neither  shalt  thou  bear  false  witness  against  thy 
neighbor. 

10.  Neither  shalt  thou  covet  thy  neighbor's  wife ;  neither 

shalt  thou  desire  thy  neighbor's  house,  his  field,  or  his 

man-servant,  or  his  maid-servant,  his  ox,  or  his  ass,  or  any- 
thing that  is  thy  neighbor's. 

The  words  and  phrases  underlined  mark  variations  from 
the  Decalogue  of  Exodus  20. 

The  Decalogue  of  Exodus  20.  3-17.— Read  carefully  the 
Ten  Commandments  as  they  are  here  recorded.  Observe 
that  the  first,  second,  and  third  commandments  exactly 
correspond  with  the  Deuteronomic  Decalogue.  The  fourth 
commandment  in  this  version  omits  the  words  underlined 
(see  above)  and  adds  a  different  reason  for  keeping  the 
Sabbath,  namely,  "for  in  six  days  Jehovah  made  heaven 
and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the 
seventh  day:  wherefore  Jehovah  blessed  the  seventh  day, 
and  hallowed  it."  In  the  tenth  commandment  this  code 
of  Exodus  places  the  house  before  the  wife  in  the  list  of 
property  not  to  be  coveted. 

The  Decalogue  of  Exodus  34. — From  Exodus  34.  1-4, 
10,  27-37  it  appears  that  Moses  cut  out  two  tables  of  stone, 
and  at  Jehovah's  command  wrote  upon  them  the  words  of 
the  covenant.  Evidently,  there  are  to  be  found  somewhere 
between  Exodus  34.  10  and  34.  27  these  "words  of  the 
covenant,  the  ten  commandments."     Begin  with  Exodus 


MOEAL  FORCES  IN  NATION-BUILDING      69 

34.  14  and  make  a  list  of  ten  commandments,  stripping 
them  of  explanatory  statements,  as  follows : 

I.     Thou  shalt  worship  no  other  god  (Exod.  34.  14). 
II.     Thou  shalt  make  thee  no  molten  gods  (verse  17). 
III.     The  feast  of  unleavened   bread  shalt  thou  keep 

(verse  18). 
IV.     All  that  openeth  the  womb  is  mine  (verse  19). 
V.     None  shall  appear  before  me  empty  (verse  20). 
VI.     Six  days  thou  shalt  work,  but  on  the  seventh  day 
thou  shalt  rest  (verse  21). 
VII.     Three  times  in  the  year  shall  all  thy  males  appear 
before  the  Lord  Jehovah  (verse  23). 
VIII.     Thou  shalt  not  offer  the  blood  of  my  sacrifice  with 
leavened  bread  (verse  25). 
IX.     The  first  [best]  of  the  first-fruits  of  thy  ground 
thou  shalt  bring  into  the  house  of  Jehovah  thy 
God  (verse  26). 
Xw     Thou  shalt  not  boil  a  kid  in  its  mother^s  milk 
(verse  26). 

The  Meaning  of  These  Diffeeent  Codes 

The  Nature  of  the  Differences. — The  code  of  Exodus  34 
is  concerned  almost  wholly  with  ritual.  Jehovah  has  cer- 
tain worship  rights  which  his  people  must  observe.  Other 
peoples  may  have  their  gods :  Israel  must  worship  Jehovah 
only.  The  second  commandment  does  not  condemn  all 
use  of  images  in  worship :  only  molten  images  are  pro- 
hibited. The  feast  of  Unleavened  Bread,  a  festival  me- 
morial of  the  exodus  from  Egypt,  is  required.  First- 
born of  man  and  beast  are  Jehovah^s  Sacrifice  is  the  one 
way  to  worship.  One  day  in  seven  is  a  day  of  rest.  Three 
great  annual  festivals  are  enjoined.  Leavened  bread  must 
not  be  used  in  sacrificial  meals.  The  first  of  fruits  and 
grains,  like  the  first-born,  are  Jehovah^s.  The  meaning  of 
the  last  command  is  obscure.  In  this  code  there  is  no 
emphasis  upon  the  moral  character  of  Jehovah  nor  any 
recognition  of  moral  obligation  among  men. 


70  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

Moral  Foeces 

The  first  four  commandments  of  Exodus  20  are  similar 
in  nature.  The  last  six  deal  with  rights  between  man  and 
man.  Long  life  depends  upon  proper  treatment  of  parents. 
Murder  is  condemned.  Theft  is  prohibited.  Woman  is 
regarded  as  man's  property;  not  quite  as  valuable  as  his 
house.  It  is  only  the  last  commandment  which  deals  with 
man's  inner  life;  all  the  others  take  cognizance  of  his 
acts  only. 

The  Deuteronomic  Decalogue  infuses  the  fourth  com- 
mandment with  a  greater  humane  spirit.  Domestic  ani- 
mals and  slaves,  like  the  master,  are  to  enjoy  the  weekly 
period  of  rest.  The  commandment  is  here  based,  not,  as 
in  Exodus  20,  upon  the  fact  of  Jehovah's  rest  from  toil 
on  the  seventh  day,  but  upon  the  evident  need  of  rest.  The 
master  is  enjoined  to  be  compassionate,  and  he  is  reminded 
that  his  very  existence  in  Palestine  is  due  to  Jehovah's 
compassion  upon  his  people  in  Egypt.  In  the  tenth  com- 
mandment, while  a  man's  wife  is  still  his  property,  she 
has  become  dearer  to  him  than  his  house. 

A  Progressive  Revelation. — It  is  evident  that  these  three 
Decalogues  were  not  all  given  at  Sinai.  No  more  than 
one  set  was  cut  upon  the  tables  of  stone.  The  differences 
are  too  great  to  be  apprehended  during  the  possible  moral 
development  of  one  generation.  Exodus  34  evidently  is 
the  earliest  of  the  three  Decalogues :  its  interests  are  the 
proper  methods  of  the  worship  of  Israel's  God.  Exodus 
20  is  a  distinct  religious  advance.  It  not  only  deals  with 
the  respect  and  reverence  due  Jehovah,  but  it  makes  a 
beginning  in  asserting  the  claims  of  morality  in  human 
relationships  in  the  family,  in  the  social  contacts  of  the 
community,  and  in  business  affairs.  Deuteronomy  5  makes 
a  slight  advance  in  its  humanitarian  basis  of  Sabbath 
observance.  Here  is  a  striking  instance  of  what  Jesus 
meant  in  saying  to  his  disciples  at  the  close  of  his  life, 
"I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  unto  you,  but  ye  cannot  bear 
them  now."  Keeping  in  mind  the  conditions  of  Israel  at 
the  time  of  the  Exodus,  and  remembering  what  we  now 


MORAL  FOECES  IN  NATION-BUILDING      71 

know  of  God's  character  and  purposes,  we  can  see  how  unfit 
the  Hebrew  people  were  in  the  Sinaitic  period  for  any  very 
lofty  religious  conceptions,  and  that  God  could  not  do 
otherwise  than  make  known  gradually  his  will  through  the 
centuries  as  the  nation  became  competent,  in  the  broaden- 
ing of  her  relationships  and  in  the  multiplication  of  her 
interests,  to  receive  nobler  revelations  of  religion  and  moral 
conduct. 

The  Decalogue  Given  at  Sinai. — All  the  traditions  of 
Israel  point  to  a  Decalogue  as  the  basis  of  the  covenant 
at  Sinai.  (The  Decalogue  of  Exodus  20,  however,  is  no- 
where said  to  be  the  Decalogue  given  at  Sinai.)  Exodus 
20.  22-23  preserves  a  tradition  that  a  Decalogue  was  given 
at  Sinai,  although  only  a  fragment  of  such  Decalogue  is 
here  recorded.  Exodus  34.  27-28  definitely  states  that  Ten 
Commandments  make  up  the  Sinaitic  covenant.  Deuter- 
onomy 5.  1-22  likewise  states  that  a  Decalogue  formed  the 
basis  of  Jehovah's  covenant  with  Israel  made  at  Sinai.  Two 
lines  of  tradition  state  that  these  commandments  were  en- 
graved upon  two  tables  or  slabs  of  stone — Exodus  34,  that 
they  were  so  engraved  by  Moses,  and  Deuteronomy  5,  that 
the  work  was  done  by  Jehovah.  This  deep-rooted  con- 
sciousness of  Israel's  religious  thinkers  that  the  moral  law, 
however  much  it  was  expanded  by  new  revelations,  had  its 
origin  in  the  Sinaitic  covenant  cannot  be  ignored.  Some 
Decalogue  undoubtedly  was  given  at  Sinai. 

In  previous  lessons  we  have  seen  that  Israel's  life  as 
a  nation  began  with  a  covenant  with  Jehovah  which  was 
the  beginning  of  the  growth  and  development  of  the  world's 
noblest  religion.  Future  studies  may  convince  all  Bible 
students  that  the  actual  commands  set  down  on  the  stone 
tables  may  never  be  known  by  us.  There  is  no  biblical 
record  of  what  became  of  these  tables.  But  whatever  may 
have  been  the  details  of  the  covenant,  it  is  clear  that  there 
were  certain  moral  elements — elements  which  had  in  them 
the  germ  of  Israel's  moral  law.  Jehovah  had  rights  which 
the  people  were  to  observe.  That  he  was  their  supreme  and 
only  Deity  was  a  fundamental  consideration  of  the  cove- 
nant.   That  he  was  to  be  worshiped  in  certain  prescribed 


72  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

forms  was  a  natural  requirement  in  an  age  of  ritual  forms. 
That  the  worshipers  who  had  these  rights  of  Jehovah  to 
observe  would  find  immediately  certain  mutual  rights  of 
life  and  property  existing  among  themselves  is  equally  true. 
Thus,  coeval  with  the  covenant  and  as  elements  in  it,  arose 
certain  moral  ideas  and  practices. 

The  centuries  discovered  new  meanings  in  the  covenant, 
but  they  never  failed  to  find  a  moral  significance  and  con- 
tent in  that  ancient  pact.  Thus  the  nation  was  builded 
on  moral  law  finding  its  authority  in  religion:  the  moral 
practices  and  ideals  of  men  were  grounded  in  the  highest 
authority,  the  authority  of  God. 

The  Fikst  Commandment 

The  Hebrew  God. — We  visit  the  world's  museums  in  vain 
for  memorials  of  the  religious  art  of  the  Hebrew.  Al- 
though he  once  was  dependent  upon  images  to  make  more 
real  the  presence  of  Jehovah,  he  has  left  no  statues,  no 
bronzes,  no  divine  forms  embalmed  in  marble.  In  him, 
as  in  other  primitive  peoples,  the  impulse  came  to  image 
in  material  forms  the  superhuman  being  whom  he  adored. 
But  there  came  a  day  of  deliverance  for  the  Hebrew.  He 
saw  that  no  idol,  no  image,  no  work  of  wood  and  stone 
could  express  the  nature  of  God.  The  Divine  Being  could 
not  be  brought  under  such  limitations.  No  carving,  how- 
ever beautiful,  said  these  shepherds  and  farmers  of  Israel, 
can  show  forth  Jehovah's  glory.  Therefore,  we  do  not 
search  the  ruins  of  their  ancient  cities  for  their  shattered 
representations  of  God.  But  their  thought  of  him  as  the 
great  spiritual  helper  of  men,  unbroken  and  unforgotten, 
leaps  into  our  minds  when  we  enter  the  invisible  sanctuary 
of  prayer. 

Our  Gods. — Where  do  men  of  to-day  turn  for  the  reen- 
forcement  of  their  baffled  powers?  To  what  gods  do  we 
turn  in  our  ambitions?  To  whom  or  what  do  we  address 
our  desires?  Our  real  prayers  are  our  desires  and  wishes 
which  whip  us  like  slave-drivers  to  our  work  each  day.  The 
real  Deity  whom  we  worship  is  some  man  or  woman,  some 
position,  some  fashion,  which  we  believe  can  grant  us  our 


MORAL  FOECES  IN  NATION-BUILDING      73 

desires.  We  scorn  bowing  to  wood  and  stone,  but  we  kneel 
to  silver  and  gold. 

Sacrifices  and  Rewards. — Consider  the  sacrifices  which 
we  make  upon  these  altars  to  our  pagan  gods.  Health, 
friends,  purity  of  thought,  breadth  of  soul,  the  finer  ideals, 
the  beat  of  heart  to  heart  in  genuine  strifeless  brotherhood, 
the  strength  and  glory  of  fellowship  with  the  Heavenly 
Father — who  has  not  laid  something  of  these  priceless 
blessings  upon  worldly  altars  and  has  not  seen  them 
vanish  in  incense  to  sensual  deities  ?  How  have  our  pagan 
gods  rewarded  our  adoration?  Have  they  granted  us 
pleasure?  or  peace?  or  power?  Their  pleasure  burns  into 
ashes.  Their  peace  is  a  will-o^-the-wisp.  Their  power 
is  the  excitement  of  wine  which  feeds  on  the  heart  for  its 
fire.  Our  gods  are  miserable  deceivers.  They  promise 
happiness,  but  they  give  despair.  They  nold  out  toward 
our  eager  hands  a  shining  crown  of  gold,  but  when  we 
grasp  it  we  find  it  withered  leaves.  They  lift  to  our  lips 
a  crystal  cup  of  the  golden  wine  of  life,  but  when  we  touch 
it  the  cup  is  leaden  and  the  drink  is  gall. 

One  God. — There  is  room  for  only  one  God  in  the  world. 
There  is  place  for  one  worship  only  in  the  soul.  Listen  to 
the  divine  commands:  Thou  shalt  have  no  substitute  for 
the  living  spiritual  God.  Thou  shalt  not  sell  thy  soul  for 
silk  stockings,  a  banquet,  a  club  membership,  an  auto- 
mobile, a  platonic  love.  Thou  shalt  not  set  up  in  thy  heart 
any  image  of  wealth,  political  j)osition,  or  social  triumph 
to  bow  down  to  them  and  to  worship  them.  Thou  shalt 
not  make  thyself  a  pagan,  becoming  the  blind  worshiper 
of  material  splendor.  Thou  shalt  not  suffer  thyself  to  be 
lured  from  spiritual  ideals,  values,  and  comradeships  by 
any  passing  glamour  of  fame,  riches,  and  political  power. 
Thou  shalt  not  forget  thy  spirituality  and  immortality. 
Thou  shalt  not  be  careless  of  thy  brother.  Thou  shalt  com- 
fort him  in  his  sorrows  and  rejoice  with  him  in  his  joys. 
Thou  shalt  not  draw  apart  from  his  burdens.  Thou  shalt 
relieve  his  poverty,  heal  his  diseases,  and  take  him  into 
thy  happier  fellowship.  Thou  shalt  not  steal  any  of  his 
sunshine  to  add  to  thine.    Thou  shalt  not  covet  his  wages. 


74  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

Thou  shalt  not  make  him  bitter  by  injustice.  Thou  shalt 
call  him  thy  brother  and  in  his  fellowship  seek  the  bless- 
ings of  God. 

A  Lesson  Test 

1.  What  characteristics  of  Israel's  religion  made  possible  a 
moral  content  in  it  at  the  beginning  and  was  the  ground  of  a 
moral  development? 

•  2.  What  is  the  evidence  that  a  group  of  commandments  was 
given  to  the  Israelites  at  Sinai? 

3.  Examine  the  three  decalogues  still  extant  in  the  Old 
Testament,  and  arrange  them  in  order  of  time  and  give  reasons 
for  this  dating. 

4.  Keeping  in  mind  that  all  commandments  which  deal  with 
a  settled  agricultural  life  and  which  prohibit  the  use  of  images, 
what  was  the  probable  content  of  the  decalogue  given  at 
Sinai? 

5.  What  was  the  purpose  of  Israel's  religious  leaders  in 
formulating  brief  commandments?    In  the  number  ten? 

6.  What  does  it  mean  to  worship  one  God  only? 

References 

Kent,  IsraeVs  Laws  and  Legal  Precedents,  pages  16-22. 
See  the  article,  "Decalogue,"  in  Hastings's  Bible  Dictionary. 
Read  also  Kautzsch,  "The  Religion  of  Israel,"  Hastings's  Bihle 
Dictionary,  Vol.  V.,  page  633f.  Wade,  Old  Testament  History, 
pp.  132-140.  Bade,  The  Old  Testament  in  the  Light  of  To-day, 
pp.  87-131. 


CHAPTEE  X 

EELIGIOUS  INSTITUTIONS  IN  NATION- 
BUILDING 

The  two  preceding  chapters  have  shown  that  two  dis- 
tinguishing elements  of  Israel's  religion  reach  back  to  the 
Mosaic  age :  the  covenant-ideal  and  the  consciousness  that 
genuine  religion  must  carry  at  its  heart  ethical  motives 
and  practices.  This  chapter  exhibits  another  aspect  of 
great  religion :  that  it  draws  into  its  service  objects  and 
institutions  and  sanctifies  them  to  its  use.  Or,  it  may  be 
said,  rather,  that  effective  religion  finds  its  expression  in 
the  use  of  objects,  places,  times,  and  rites  which  by  such 
use  obtain  a  sanctity.  We  are  to  study  three  typical  He- 
brew sanctities :  the  Ark,  the  tent  of  meeting,  and  the  Sab- 
bath. The  first  two  have  passed  away,  but  the  religious 
truth  proclaimed  in  them  abides;  the  last  is  with  us  still, 
often  dishonored,  but  glorious  with  religious  worth  and 
possibilities. 

A  Study  of  the  Biblical  Material 

The  Ark. — The  Ark  is  the  earliest  of  Israel's  sacred 
objects.  Eeaders  familiar  with  the  periods  of  Samuel, 
Saul,  and  David  will  recall  the  prominence  of  the  Ark 
in  these  early  historical  narratives.  There  is  little  known 
about  the  origin  of  the  Ark,  its  materials,  shape  or  size. 
Deuteronomy  10.  1-5  states  that  the  Ark  was  made  by 
Moses,  from  acacia  wood,  and  that  in  it  were  placed  the 
stone  tablets  bearing  the  Decalogue.  From  the  historical 
references  it  evidently  was  an  oblong  portable  chest  which 
could  be  carried  by  two  men,  2  Samuel  15.  29. 

What  use  was  made  of  the  Ark?  In  what  manner  was 
it  regarded  by  early  Israel?  According  to  the  earliest  of 
Israel's  historians,  Numbers  10.  33-36,  the  Ark  was  borne 

75 


76  THE  RELIGIOISr  OF  ISEAEL 

at  the  front  of  the  marching  tribes  on  their  way  to  Canaan. 
When  the  Ark  set  forward,  Moses  said,  '^Rise  up,  0  Je- 
hovah, and  let  thine  enemies  be  scattered;  and  let  them 
that  hate  thee  flee  before  thee."  And  when  the  march  halted 
and  camp  was  made,  he  said,  "Return,  0  Jehovah,  unto 
the  ten  thousands  of  the  thousands  of  Israel.'^  Numbers 
14.  42,  44  also  indicate  that  the  Ark  and  the  presence  of 
Jehovah  are  inseparably  connected.  According  to  Joshua 
6.  6,  8,  to  walk  in  front  of  the  Ark  is  to  walk  before 
Jehovah.  Here  the  Ark  is  regarded  as  the  chief  factor  in 
the  destruction  of  Jericho.  In  the  period  of  the  Judges, 
"before  Jehovah"  is  a  customary  equivalent  of  "in  the 
presence  of  the  Ark,"  Joshua  18.  6-10.  After  the  entrance 
into  Canaan  the  Ark  was  housed  at  Shiloh,  1  Samuel  3.  3. 
The  revelation  granted  Samuel  takes  place  in  the  room  or 
tent  where  the  Ark  is  kept.  The  Philistines  also  under- 
stood that  the  Ark  is  the  assurance  of  Jehovah's  presence: 
"And  the  Philistines  were  afraid,  for  they  said,  God  is 
come  into  the  camp,"  1  Samuel  4.  7.  The  capture  of  the 
Ark  by  the  Philistines  was  regarded  by  the  Hebrews  as 
the  departure  of  Jehovah  himself  from  Israel,  1  Samuel 
4.  22.  Even  David  regarded  dancing  before  the  Ark  as 
done  "before  Jehovah"  2  Samuel  6.  14. 

The  Ark  remained  in  its  tent,  2  Samuel  6.  17,  until 
Solomon  placed  it  in  the  Holy  of  Holies  in  the  temple  of 
Solomon,  1  Kings  8.  1-9.  The  Ark  was  placed  between, 
and  under  the  outstretched  wings,  of  two  cherubim  which 
stood  within  this  dark  inner  shrine.  At  this  time  the  Ark 
was  still  regarded  as  being  in  some  real  sense  the  equivalent 
of  Jehovah,  1  Kings  8.  12.  With  the  preaching  of  the 
great  prophets,  Israel's  religion  was  so  much  spiritualized 
that  less  and  less  regard  was  paid  to  the  Ark.  It  perished 
without  doubt  in  the  destruction  of  the  city  in  B.  C.  586. 
It  had  done  its  service  in  a  primitive  age  to  make  real 
to  Israel  the  nearness,  the  grace,  and  the  power  of  Jehovah. 
When  Israel  could  conceive  these  ideas  spiritually,  the 
Ark  was  useless,  and  its  destruction  could  be  witnessed 
without  regret  and  loss.  Jeremiah,  3.  16,  clearly  recog- 
nizes that  the  ideal  kingdom  of  God  needs  no  Ark.    There 


EELIGIOUS  INSTITUTIONS  77 

was  no  Ark  either  in  the  second  temple  or  in  the  temple 
built  by  Herod. 

The  Tent  of  Meeting. — Such  a  sacred  object  as  the  Ark 
had  from  its  beginning  its  sacred  habitation  and  its  sacred 
guardian.  Eead  Exodus  33.  7-11.  "Now  Moses  used 
to  take  the  tent  and  to  pitch  it  without  the  camp.^'  Here 
a  special  tent,  set  apart  for  some  well-known  use,  is  desig- 
nated. When  the  Israelites  were  encamped  this  tent  was 
pitched  at  some  distance  from  the  camp.  It  was  called 
The  Tent  of  Meeting.  The  Tent  was  in  constant  charge 
of  Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun.  The  Tent  as  here  described 
was  the  usual  place  where  Moses  spoke  with  Jehovah.  Al- 
though it  was  an  ordinary  Bedouin^s  tent,  it  was  not  re- 
garded as  a  temporary  arrangement.  It  was  the  custom 
and  practice  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness. 

Eead  Exodus  18.  13-22;  33.  7;  Numbers  11.  16,  17,  24 
and  notice  (1)  that  Jehovah  was  to  be  found  in  the  Tent; 
(2)  that  the  political  and  judicial  life  of  the  people  was 
administered  in  its  presence.  It  was  the  customary  place 
where  Jehovah  met  his  people.  Numbers  12.  5 ;  Deuter- 
onomy 31.  15;  Exodus  33.  11.  It  is  probable  that  before 
the  Tent  sacrifices  were  offered.  "To  seek  Jehovah,^' 
Exodus  33.  7,  is  either  to  consult  the  oracle  or  to  offer 
sacrifices.  Sacrifices  were  offered  to  Jehovah  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Ark,  1  Kings  8.  5. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  Tent  of  Meeting  was 
set  up  to  shelter  the  Ark.  For  early  Israel,  as  we  have 
seen,  the  Ark  was  closely  equivalent  to  Jehovah  himself. 
It  was  more  than  the  symbol  of  his  presence.  It  was  his 
presence.  The  regard  shown  the  Tent  of  Meeting  cor- 
responds with  the  reverence  for  the  Ark.  This  is  ex- 
plainable only  if  the  Tent  of  Meeting  housed  the  Ark.  It 
thus  partook  of  the  sanctity  of  its  sacred  object. 

During  the  conquest  and  settlement  of  Canaan  a  tent 
continued  to  shelter  the  Ark  until  a  somewhat  more  perma- 
nent structure  was  erected  at  Shiloh.  There  is  no  further 
mention  of  a  tent  in  the  earty  history  until  David  brought 
back  the  Ark  to  Jerusalem  and  housed  it  in  a  tent,  2 
Samuel  6.  17. 


78  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

The  Sabbath :  Its  Origin. — The  origin  of  the  Sabbath  as 
a  day  of  rest  from  labor  and  of  religions  observance  is 
obscure.  It  has  been  thought  that  it  was  an  ancient 
Semitic  usage.  It  is  known  that  among  the  Babylonians 
the  seventh,  fourteenth,  nineteenth,  twenty-first,  and 
twenty-eighth  days  of  some  months  were  regarded  as  un- 
suitable days  for  certain  tasks.  There  is  extant  a  tablet 
which  gives  a  list  of  actions  which  are  displeasing  to  the 
deity  on  these  "sacred"  days:  The  king  must  not  occupy 
his  throne,  ride  in  his  chariot,  change  his  clothing,  or  eat 
food  cooked  by  fire ;  only  after  sundown  may  he  offer  sacri- 
fices. The  physician  may  not  minister  to  the  sick  nor  the 
priest  seek  the  judgments  of  the  oracle.  The  contract 
tablets  show  that  secular  business,  at  least  in  certain 
periods  of  Babylonian  history,  was  much  diminished  on 
these  days  (Rogers's  Cuneiform  Parallels  to  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, page  189,  and  Neile's  Book  of  Exodus,  page  121). 
That  it  was  an  ancient  Hebrew  observance  is  witnessed 
by  all  the  traditions  which  place  the  origin  of  the  day  in 
the  period  of  the  Exodus. 

Its  History  Among  the  Hebrews. — As  was  seen  in  Chap- 
ter IX,  rest  from  labor  on  the  Sabbath  was  enjoined  in 
the  earliest  Decalogue.  In  the  Decalogue  of  Exodus  20 
all  work  done  by  man  and  beast  is  prohibited  on  the  Sab- 
bath. The  Decalogue  of  Deuteronomy  (chapter  5)  shows 
a  greater  humanitarian  motive  for  Sabbath  rest.  Since 
this  Decalogue  is  the  latest  of  the  three,  it  shows  that  the 
object  and  meaning  of  the  day  are  being  found  in  the 
social  needs  of  the  community. 

In  prophetic  times  the  Sabbath  continues  to  be  a  day 
when  customary  labors  cease,  Amos  8.  5;  Jeremiah  17.  21, 
22.  But  it  was  chiefly  significant  as  a  day  of  worship. 
It  was  one  of  the  great  days  of  religious  festivals  whose 
unethical  worship  the  prophets  so  vigorously  denounced, 
Hosea  2.  11;  Isaiah  1.  13.  Jeremiah,  who  strongly  con- 
demned Sabbath  labor,  17.  24-25,  assured  his  country- 
men that  a  proper  observance  of  the  Sabbath  would  firmly 
establish  Jerusalem  forever.  During  the  exile  the  observ- 
ance of  the  Sabbath  became  one  of  the  very  few  religious 


EELIGIOUS  INSTITUTIONS  79 

observances  which  it  was  possible  to  continue.  Conse- 
quently, it  took  on  new  meaning  and  value.  Its  proper 
observance  would  guarantee  to  them  their  restoration  to 
their  own  land,  Isaiah  58.  13-14. 

After  the  exile  the  Sabbath  became  still  more  sacred. 
During  the  exile,  the  Jews  left  in  Palestine  had  grown 
careless  in  the  observance  of  the  day,  and  one  of  the  early 
reforms  was  to  reestablish  the  day  as  a  day  of  rest  from 
labor,  Nehemiah  13.  15-22.  Exodus  31.  12-14,  which  comes 
from  this  later  time,  attempts  to  guard  the  sanctity  of 
the  Sabbath  by  imposing  the  death  penalty  for  its  prof- 
anation. Exodus  35.  1-3  and  Leviticus  23.  3,  also  portions 
of  the  priestly  legislation,  base  the  day's  required  rest  and 
sanctity  upon  the  fact  the  Sabbath  is  consecrated  to  Je- 
hovah, and  that  it  is  a  perpetual  covenant  and  a  holy  reli- 
gious assembly. 

The  books  of  the  Maccabees  and  the  writings  of  Josephus 
set  forth  the  observance  of  the  day  in  the  Maccabean  and 
Eoman  periods.  The  enemies  of  the  Jews  frequently  took 
advantage  of  the  Jewish  refusal  or  reluctance  to  fight  on 
the  Sabbath.  The  Eomans  released  the  Jews  from  military 
service  because  the  Sabbath  inactivity  destroyed  the  mili- 
tary discipline. 

Its  Religious  Significance. — Out  of  whatever  supersti- 
tious past  the  Sabbath  came,  it  took  on  in  Israel  two  dis- 
tinct and  permanent  meanings:  it  possessed  a  humani- 
tarian value  in  its  command  to  cease  from  labor  and  it 
enforced  a  consciousness  of  God  and  the  obligation  of  man 
to  seek  and  obey  his  will.  It  was  a  holiday,  but  it  was 
also  a  holy  day.  The  religious  associations  of  the  day  are 
everywhere  apparent.  Hosea  (2.  11)  takes  it  for  granted 
that  in  exile  the  Sabbath  cannot  be  observed:  there  will 
be  no  altars  of  Jehovah  in  distant  lands,  and  so  without 
its  religious  rites  the  day  is  nothing.  Yet  the  Sabbath 
was  observed  in  exile^  Isaiah  56.  1-7,  and  became  the  means 
of  showing  fidelity  to  Jehovah  and  the  mark  which  sepa- 
rated his  worshiper  from  the  heathen.  One  needs  to  recall 
only  the  reforms  of  Nehemiah  and  the  heroism  of  the 
Maccabees  to  know  the  religious  fervor  which  this  holy 


80  THE  EELIGION"  OF  ISEAEL 

day  awakened  during  the  postexilian  generations.  The 
Sabbath  easily  was  the  most  important  of  Israelis  sacred 
days.  The  feast  of  the  new  moon,  observed  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  Sabbath,  passed  out  of  existence;  the  three 
annual  festivals,  with  the  dispersion  of  the  Jews  into  all 
lands,  ceased  to  be ;  but  the  Sabbath,  day  of  rest  and  wor- 
ship, lived  through  all  vicissitudes,  and  through  the  Chris- 
tian adaptation  of  its  idea  and  its  values  it  lives  still  in 
the  world. 

The  Sabbath 

Hebrew  Humanitarianism. — The  origin  of  the  Sabbath 
is  lost  in  obscurity.  But  in  the  course  of  time  it  became 
among  the  Hebrews  an  expression  of  a  dawning  humane 
spirit.  By  cessation  from  toil  one  day  in  seven  the  He- 
brews asserted  that  life  is  more  than  meat.  The  day 
proclaimed  the  spiritual  life  of  man.  It  offered  too  a 
beginning  at  human  brotherhood,  in  which  masters  and 
slaves  alike  were  to  cease  from  toil.  The  day  seemed  to 
say  that  man  himself  was  greater  than  anything  he  did. 
The  Sabbath  was  a  constant  recognition  of  the  higher  in- 
terests of  man.  In  a  night  of  slavery,  of  carnage,  of  gross 
selfishness,  of  might  wearing  the  crown  of  right,  the  Jewish 
people  with  their  precious  Sabbath  declaring  a  brotherhood 
of  men,  with  equal  rights  of  labor  and  rest,  shone  like  a 
morning  star  to  herald  the  brightest  humanitarian  day  of 
which  men  now  dream. 

The  Symbol  of  Brotherhood. — The  Christian  religion 
roots  in  human  brotherhood.  The  infinite  worth  of  per- 
sonality in  the  sight  of  God  is  one  of  the  fundamental  con- 
victions of  the  Christianized  conscience.  Our  religion  con- 
demns the  human  mastery  of  men.  It  denounces  every 
form  of  slavery.  The  man  without  a  Sabbath  lives  apart 
from  the  greatest  expression  of  human  feeling.  In  the 
spirit  of  a  slave  he  takes  up  his  task  each  day  until  death 
brings  release.  If  the  Sabbath  to-day  proclaimed  no  more 
than  its  ancient  humanitarian  message,  it  would  justify 
the  reverence  and  the  love  of  man. 

Liberation  of  the  Spirit. — We  not  only  need  rest  from 


EELIGIOUS  INSTITUTIONS  81 

toil.  We  need  liberation  from  the  servile  spirit  and  trivial 
ideals.  What  makes  life  significant?  What  reality  lies 
beyond  the  immediate  things  of  the  present  hour?  What 
is  God's  will  for  man  ?  He  who  does  not  sometimes  ponder 
such  questions  never  enters  the  larger  realms  of  life.  The 
Sabbath  always  has  been  a  summons  to  forget  the  sordid 
cares  of  the  day  and  to  reenforce  human  thought  and  feel- 
ing with  eternal  considerations. 

A  Spiritual  Opportunity. — Do  you  ever  feel  the  intoler- 
able burden  of  business  and  the  routine  of  your  homes? 
Are  you  ever  touched  by  weakness,  doubt,  despair  ?  If  you 
do  experience  these  things,  do  you  know  of  anything  which 
will  so  ease  the  tension  of  business  and  society  as  to  enter 
a  little  while  the  world  where  such  things  sink  into  noth- 
ingness? Is  the  Sabbath  for  you  a  golden  opportunity  to 
see  blue  sky  and  shining  stars?  Do  you  covet  its  oppor- 
tunity to  ask  yourself  the  great  questions  whether  or  not 
God  has  spoken  to  us,  whether  he  will  speak  to  us  still, 
what  the  purpose  is  of  all  this  struggle  and  toil,  and  what 
the  end  is — the  grave  or  the  heaven  of  God?  We  must 
choose  between  the  Sabbath,  with  its  spiritual  culture,  and 
newspapers,  trains,  dinners,  automobiles,  laziness;  one  or 
the  other  must  go.  The  Sabbath  is  our  finest  way  to  pro- 
claim the  spiritual  lordship  of  life.  It  teaches  that  man 
himself  is  greater  than  anything  he  does ;  that  to  be  greater 
than  he  is,  he  must  keep  in  touch  with  God. 

Starting-Points  foe  Ciass  Discussion 

1.  What  is  meant  by  sanctities?  Why  cannot  religion  do 
without  them? 

2.  The  Ark:  what  was  its  use  in  military  campaigns?  In 
times  of  peace?  How  was  it  possible  for  early  Israel  to  make 
a  material  object  so  nearly  identical  with  Jehovah  himself? 
When  it  was  not  in  use  in  military  campaigns,  where  was  it 
kept?    Why  did  it  cease  to  be  a  sanctity? 

3.  The  Tent  of  Meeting:  what  use  was  made  of  it  in  the 
wilderness?  In  Canaan?  Why  are  there  no  references,  in  the 
early  historical  sources,  to  the  Tabernacle  described  in  Exodus 
25.  31? 

4.  The  Sabbath:  what  is  known  concerning  its  origin?  How 
was  it  observed  in  Israel  previous  to  the  exile?    During  the 


82  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

Babylonian  captivity?  After  the  exile?  What  reasons  were 
given  the  Hebrews  for  its  observance?  What  was  its  value 
in  Israel  as  a  social  institution?  Why  should  Jews  to-day 
observe  the  first  day  of  the  week  as  the  Sabbath?  What  is  its 
social  value  to-day?  How  should  the  day  now  be  observed  by 
Christians? 

Helpful  Readings 

Jastrow,  Hetrew  and  Babylonion  Traditions,  Chapter  3. 

Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles,  "Ark"  and  "Sab- 
bath." See  Volume  IV,  p.  653f  for  "Tent  of  Meeting."  The 
Ark  is  discussed  also  in  Volume  V,  p.  628f. 

McNeile,  The  Book  of  Exodus,  pp.  121-123,  161-164,  211f. 


CHAPTER  XI 

PHYSICAL  FACTOES  IN  THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF 
ISRAEL'S  RELIGION 

The  comparison  of  the  history  of  Israel  with  that  of  her 
neighbors  is  extremely  fruitful  of  wonder  and  of  new 
confidence  in  the  uniqueness  of  IsraeFs  place  in  the  world. 
Everyone  who  makes  this  comparison  is  sure  to  ask,  "What 
made  possible  the  superiority  of  the  Hebrews  in  morals 
and  religion  over  their  contemporaries?"  Some  have 
looked  for  the  distinguishing  element  in  the  physical  fea- 
tures of  Palestine.  It  is  well  known  that  climate  and 
fertility  of  soil  have  a  marked  bearing  upon  the  character 
of  a  civilization.  To  what  extent  may  the  uniqueness  of 
Israel  be  traced  to  the  land  she  occupied? 

The  Physical  Features  of  the  Land 

Examine  a  map  of  Palestine  and  you  will  see  that  it  is 
a  rectangular  land  lying  between  the  Mediterranean  Sea 
and  the  desert  and  reaching  from  the  slopes  of  Mount 
Lebanon  and  Mount  Hermon  to  the  Sinaitic  wilderness. 
There  are  four  well-defined  divisions  of  the  land  from  west 
to  east:  the  maritime  plain,  the  central  tableland  and 
mountain  range,  cut  from  west  to  east  by  the  Plain  of 
Esdraelon,  the  Jordan  valley — with  its  river  and  lakes  end- 
ing in  the  Dead  Sea — and  the  eastern  mountains  and 
tableland  fading  out  into  the  desert.  Perhaps  nothing 
less  than  a  visit  to  the  land  conveys  an  accurate  impression 
of  the  brokenness  and  divisions  of  the  country. 

These  physical  features  explain  to  some  extent  why  the 
Hebrews  never  really  were  a  nation.  The  deep  Jordan 
valley,  four  thousand  feet  below  Jerusalem,  and  its  few 
fords  separated  the  eastern  tableland  so  effectively  from  the 
western  range  that  it  had  no  great  influence  in  the  develop- 
ments of  Israel's  life.     In  a  similar  fashion  the  Plain  of 

83 


84  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

Esdraelon  gave  Galilee  a  history  loosely  connected  with 
Samaria  and  Judaea.  The  Song  of  Deborah,  Judges  5, 
evidences  the  separateness  of  the  tribes  and  the  difficulty 
of  awakening  a  national  feeling  even  in  the  face  of  great 
danger.  Read  the  entire  poem  and  observe  the  praise  be- 
stowed upon  those  tribes  which  responded  to  Deborah's 
call  and  the  blame  placed  upon  the  tribes  in  whom  the 
Canaanitish  attack  awoke  no  national  feeling.  Locate  on 
a  map  the  residence  of  the  nonparticipating  tribes.  David 
and  Solomon  for  a  little  while  succeeded  in  building  up 
a  nation,  but  the  divided  kingdoms  bear  witness  to  the 
insuperable  difficulties  of  a  national  life  in  such  a  land. 

All  this  had  a  bearing  upon  the  religious  history.  It 
never  was  possible  to  centralize  worship  at  Jerusalem  until 
after  the  exile,  when  the  land  had  shrunken  to  the  boun- 
daries of  a  modern  county.  Therefore  the  form  and  spirit 
of  worship  differed  greatly  throughout  Palestine  during 
nearly  the  whole  of  Hebrew  history.  The  smallness  of 
these  kingdoms  and  their  openness,  especially  Samaria,  to 
Egypt  and  Assyria  account  for  their  various  alliances  with 
other  petty  states  and  the  consequent  introduction  of  for- 
eign worship.  Such  conditions  are  the  background  of  the 
work  of  Elijah  and  Elisha. 

The  Climate. — Read  Deuteronomy  11.  10-17.  Observe 
the  contrast  of  Palestine  with  Egypt  as  to  physical  fea- 
tures and  water  supply.  Observe  that  Palestinian  crops 
are  directly  dependent  upon  rain  at  certain  seasons.  Ex- 
amine Amos  4.  6-11  and  observe  that  Palestine  is  a  land 
where  occur  famines,  strange  variations  in  the  rainfall, 
insect  plagues,  scorching  winds,  dampness  and  heat,  the 
plague,  and  the  earthquake. 

Read  these  sections  again  to  see  how  these  climatic  con- 
ditions affected  the  religious  thinking,  especially  of  the 
prophets.  Notice  that  crops  in  Egypt  are  the  result  of 
man's  efforts,  but  in  Palestine  it  is  not  so.  The  land 
would  be  fruitless  if  Jehovah's  eyes  were  not  on  it  con- 
tinually, Deuteronomy  11.  12.  He  is  the  giver  of  the 
autumn  and  late  spring  rains  upon  which  the  crops  de- 
pend.    If  Jehovah  ceases  to  tend  the  land,  rains  cease. 


PHYSICAL  FACTOKS  85 

grains  fail,  pasturages  wither,  and  the  people  perish,  11. 
13-17.  In  Amos  also  note  that  Jehovah  is  the  ever-present 
Creator  and  ruler  of  nature.  He  "calleth  for  the  waters 
from  the  sea,  and  poureth  them  out  upon  the  face  of 
the  earth,'^  9.  6;  he  is  the  cause  of  the  eclipse  of  the 
sun,  8.  9 ;  he  sends  the  locusts,  7.  1 ;  and  the  drought,  1.2. 
The  religious  teachers  of  Israel,  unlike  surrounding 
nations,  were  able  to  give  a  moral  and  religious  interpreta- 
tion to  the  climate  of  their  land. 

The  Fertility  of  the  Land. — The  contrast  of  the  bounty 
of  Palestine  with  the  barrenness  of  the  wilderness  ever 
awoke  an  abounding  sense  of  gratitude  in  those  Hebrews 
who  remembered  that  Jehovah  had  brought  them  to 
Canaan.  Study  Deuteronomy  32.  9-14  for  the  fine  descrip- 
tion of  Jehovah's  care  and  the  fertility  of  the  land  to  which 
he  brought  Israel.  Compare  with  these  verses  Deuteronomy 
33.  12-16,  24-29  for  another  picture  of  the  good  fortune 
of  Israel  in  their  land  and  their  God. 

The  Influence  of  the  Canaanites 

The  entrance  of  the  Hebrews  into  Canaan  was  a  rise 
in  the  outward  marks  of  civilization:  in  larger  flocks  and 
herds,  in  settled  and  more  habitable  abodes,  in  greater 
variety  and  abundance  of  foods,  in  the  social  life  attend- 
ant upon  agricultural  occupations.  But  this  broadening 
of  life  was  accompanied  by  the  acceptance  of  Canaanitish 
religious  practices  which  long  clung  to  Israel's  religion, 
the  source  of  sensuality  and  injustice,  and  which  formed 
the  stubborn  religious  background  against  which  the  ethi- 
cal religion  of  the  great  prophets  is  thrown  into  such 
striking  relief. 

The  Hebrews  worshiped  at  Canaanitish  shrines.  These 
usually  are  called  the  "high  places"  because  for  the  most 
part  ancient  Semitic  altars  were  placed  on  the  tops  of  hills. 
Frequently  these  sacred  places  were  beneath  some  spread- 
ing tree.  They  stood  outside  the  village  or  town.  There 
was  one  of  these  tree-shrines  at  Shechem,  where  Abraham 
is  said  to  have  worshiped,  Genesis  12.  6,  and  where  in  the 
days  of  the  Judges  Abimelech  was  made  king,  Judges  9. 


86  THE  EELIGIOK  OF  ISRAEL 

6.  2  Kings  17.  9-11  states  that  the  Hebrews  quite  gen- 
erally worshiped  at  these  Canaanitish  shrines. 

They  worshiped  the  Canaanitish  gods  and  goddesses  as 
well  as  Jehovah  at  these  shrines.  Agricultural  life  involved 
this  sort  of  polytheistic  worship.  Excellent  crops  could 
not  be  expected  unless  the  favor  of  the  deity  who  possessed 
the  place  was  secured.  The  primitive  agriculturalist  con- 
sidered himself  the  tenant  of  his  deity,  Exodus  22.  29,  30 ; 
Judges  9.  27;  21.  21;  Hosea  2.  14-22.  The  prophets  clearly 
indicate  the  unconscious  and  naive  influence  of  Canaanitish 
conceptions  of  the  relation  of  the  soil  to  deity  upon  the 
Hebrews.  The  Israelites  supposed  that  the  Canaanitish 
Baalim  had  to  be  worshiped  in  order  to  insure  prosperity. 
Hosea  says,  2.  8,  that  Israel  did  not  know  that  Jehovah 
was  the  giver  of  grain,  wine,  and  oil,  but  that  the  Israelite 
farmer  believed  that  these  were  the  gifts  of  the  local  gods 
whom  they  found  worshiped  at  their  entrance  into  Canaan. 
This  was  the  view  of  the  prophets  generally,  Jeremiah  32. 
35;  2  Kings  17.  9-11. 

Israel  shared  the  licentious  life  of  these  Canaanitish 
shrines.  The  great  agricultural  feasts  were  times  of  ex- 
travagant sensual  indulgence.  Judges  9.  27;  21.  21.  When 
Eli  saw  Hannah  praying  at  Shiloh  he  thought  she  was  in- 
toxicated, 1  Samuel  1.  14.  Worse  evils  took  place  at  these 
shrines,  1  Kings  14.  24;  Hosea  4.  11-14;  Amos  2.  6-8. 
The  feast  of  Weeks,  Deuteronomy  16.  9-12,  and  the  feast 
of  Harvest,  or  the  feast  of  Tabernacles,  Deuteronomy  16. 
13-15,  undoubtedly  were  borrowed  from  the  Canaanites. 
They  were  agricultural  festivals  which  arose  through  the 
nature  of  the  occupation  of  the  residents  of  Palestine.  In 
the  course  of  generations  their  licentious  features  were 
expurgated  and,  in  the  southern  kingdom  in  Deuteronomic 
times  they  became  a  real  function  in  the  expression  of  the 
spiritual  and  humanitarian  interests  of  Israel's  life. 

Environment  and  Religion 

The  location  of  Israel  on  the  highway  between  the  two 
great  centers  of  civilization,  the  Nile  valley  and  the  Tigris- 
Euphrates  valley,  gave  to  her  people  a  wide  acquaintance 


PHYSICAL  FACTORS  87 

with  the  world.  The  traveler  becomes  cosmopolite  in  his 
thinking.  So  does  the  nation  into  whose  cities  pour  un- 
ceasing tides  of  immigrants  from  foreign  lands.  Pales- 
tine has  a  continual  history  of  invasions.  The  wide  out- 
look which  such  conditions  confer  is  seen  in  Israel's 
prophets.  No  one  can  read  Amos,  Isaiah,  and  Jeremiah 
without  feeling  that  these  men  lived  with  wide  horizons. 
Much  of  their  political  sagacity  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
Jerusalem,  in  spite  of  its  isolation  upon  the  mountain 
ridge  of  an  inconsiderable  province,  was  really  perched 
like  a  watchtower  in  the  midst  of  the  great  passions  and 
activities  of  the  ancient  world.  Writers  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment were,  moreover,  peculiarly  sensitive  to  their  physical 
world.  Psalm  29  has  been  called  "The  Thunderstorm 
Psalm. '^  The  student  in  reading  it  will  get  a  new  impres- 
sion of  the  way  in  which  the  world  of  the  Hebrew  spoke 
to  him  a  message  of  the  glory  of  Jehovah.  Psalm  104 
and  the  Song  of  Songs  are  other  striking  selections  in 
which  appear  the  multitude  and  variety  of  the  effects  of 
Palestine  scenery  upon  Old  Testament  life  and  literature. 
The  Ultimate  Influence  in  Israel's  Religion. — In  Amos, 
however,  the  molding  influences  of  the  physical  Palestine, 
as  well  as  the  limits  of  such  influences,  are  clearly  felt. 
Tekoa,  a  wilderness  town,  was  his  home.  "Directly  north 
of  Tekoa  and  across  almost  barren  hills  lies  Jerusalem. 
To  the  northwest  Bethlehem  clings  to  a  grass-deserted  hill. 
To  the  west  and  southwest  stretches  the  long  ridge  of 
rolling  summits  to  Hebron  and  the  country  beyond.  To 
the  east  the  quite  barren  marl  ridges  slope  down  to  the 
Salt  Sea.  Beyond  them  the  sea  itself  is  in  view  through 
much  of  its  length,  while  the  Moab  tableland  rises  moun- 
tain-high beyond. ''  "Among  these  hills  Amos  led  his 
sheep.  In  the  spring,  when  the  rains  coaxed  some  scant 
blades  to  venture  forth  among  the  rocks,  he  who  was  to 
inaugurate  a  new  religion  in  Israel  guided  his  flocks,  as 
shepherds  do  to-day,  far  down  toward  the  grassless  wilder- 
ness." "There  are  few  places  in  Palestine  where  the  con- 
trast is  so  sharply  drawn  between  fertility  and  desolation. 
He  who  saw  the  desert  encroach  each  summer  upon  the 


88  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

pasturages,  who  experienced  the  burning  heat  of  those  dust 
heaps  in  the  mid-summer  sun,  and  knew  the  sternness 
with  which  man  must  grapple  with  those  sullen  wastes  to 
wrest  from  them  existence,  was  better  fitted  to  consider 
the  character  and  purpose  of  Israel's  Deity  than  those 
sensuous  Tiine  of  Bashan'  inviting  their  lords  to  drunken 
revelry  upon  the  ivory  couches  of  Samaria's  capital,  or 
even  the  priests  who  had  turned  the  nation's  shrines  into 
strange  scenes  of  wine-drinking,  highway  robbery,  and 
murder.  From  his  hill  home  Amos  could  see  beyond  Jeru- 
salem the  religious  capital  of  Israel  at  Bethel.  The  flood 
of  national  immorality  had  swept  southward  almost  to  his 
wilderness.  The  tales  of  priestly  orgies  had  become  com- 
mon gossip.  Softness  and  luxury,  instead  of  justice,  hu- 
manity, and  morality,  were  the  object  of  priest  and  prince 
throughout  the  northern  kingdom." 

"Amos  saw  no  softness  and  luxury  in  the  surroundings 
of  his  toil.  The  shepherd  needed  to  be  sleepless  by  night 
and  by  day.  The  wild  beasts  had  a  thousand  lairs  in  that 
wild  waste  of  ravines  and  caves  sweeping  seaward.  The 
sun  blistered  the  grainfields  in  the  pockets  of  the  hills  and 
turned  their  winter  torrents  into  highways.  Man  could 
not  be  idle  here.  Life  was  a  continual  summons  to  rigorous 
duty.  Each  man  who  knew  the  wilderness  had  begotten 
in  him  sympathy  and  reverence  for  the  struggles  of  his 
fellows.  Injustice  was  impossible."  So  the  conviction 
grew  in  Amos  that  Jehovah  too  was  just  and  righteous, 
and  that  religion,  without  justice  and  righteousness  as  its 
soul,  was  a  mockery  of  God. 

Yet  having  recognized  all  this,  one  still  is  reminded  by 
the  failure  of  other  shepherds  to  become  an  Amos  that 
"there  is  nothing  commensurate  with  the  ethical  vision  of 
the  Hebrew  prophets  in  the  natural  conditions  of  Pales- 
tine. The  land  has  not  created  the  world's  religion.  There 
is  no  miracle-working  power  in  the  hills  and  valleys,  lakes 
and  skies  of  Palestine.  Men's  souls  are  not  the  creatures 
of  the  soil  nor  are  they  fettered  by  natural  boundaries. 
Each  man's  country  may  become  for  him  a  Holy  Land  and 
his  town  be  transformed  into  a  Holy  City.    It  is  not  man's 


PHYSICAL  FACTORS  89 

relation  to  his  native  soil  which  makes  him  noble:  it  is 
his  partnership  with  God."^ 

Natuee  and  God 

The  Influence  of  the  Land. — It  is  sometimes  a  great 
temptation  to  attempt  to  explain  a  mystery.  We  try  to 
account  for  the  genius  by  understanding  his  environment. 
But  climate  is  not  the  deciding  influence  in  shaping  charac- 
ter. To  know  the  topography  of  a  hero's  birthplace  does 
not  enable  one  to  describe  his  temperament  or  narrate  his 
actions.  There  is  nothing  in  Stratford-upon-Avon  to  ex- 
plain Shakespeare.  A  log  cabin  does  not  account  for 
Lincoln.  Palestine  is  a  unique  land.  It  was  the  home 
of  a  peculiar  people.  Yet  Israel  cannot  be  explained  by 
Palestine.  Moses  is  not  the  product  of  the  wilderness. 
Amos  is  not  the  child  of  the  desert.  Jesus  cannot  be  ex- 
plained by  Nazareth.  God  must  be  added  to  the  wilder- 
ness, the  desert,  the  carpenter  shop.  The  land  illumines 
Israel's  religion,  but  it  does  not  explain  its  glory.  The 
place  of  your  birth  may  clog  you  with  handicaps,  but  it 
cannot  altogether  fetter  your  soul. 

Evil  Environment. — Modern  social  studies  have  laid 
bare  the  worst  that  harsh  surroundings  can  do  to  crush 
the  soul.  The  socially  ineflBcient  are  victimized  by  many 
evil  conditions.  Disease-breeding  houses  add  to  life's  moral 
handicaps.  Poverty  offers  a  peculiar  set  of  temptations  to 
immoral  living.  Excessive  wealth  likewise  produces  its 
own  breed  of  seductions  away  from  Christian  character. 
Environment  often  makes  or  mars  character.  But  physical 
conditions  do  not  have  the  final  word  in  the  development 
of  the  soul.  Man  does  not  live  by  bread  alone.  He  lives 
by  love  and  honor  and  purity  and  faith.  These  flowers  of 
high  nobility  have  blossomed  in  the  cellars  of  our  social 
structure.  That  they  do  bloom  there  does  not  argue  for 
social  cellars ;  it  proves  that  the  soul  of  man  may  be  stirred 
by  spiritual  interests  which  are  able  to  crown  him  with 
glory  in  the  midst  of  darkness. 


1 A  Syrian  Pilgrimage,  Ascham,  p.  195. 


90  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

The  Handiwork  of  God. — Jesus  lived  in  a  little  province 
between  the  desert  and  the  sea,  in  the  midst  of  an  obscure 
people.  He  came  from  a  home  of  poverty.  He  was  not  a 
product  of  the  schools.  His  hands  were  hard  with  toil. 
But  in  his  soul  he  knew  God.  God  spoke  to  him  and  lived 
with  him.  There  was  absolutely  nothing  which  could  dim 
in  his  soul  the  glory  of  his  Father's  presence.  It  was  this 
experience  which  made  him  continually  conscious  of  his 
Saviourhood.  God  can  do  a  similar  work  for  every  in- 
dividual. God  can  make  any  man  a  Christly  helper  of  his 
fellow  men.  No  natural  environment  can  thwart  his  will. 
It  is  our  own  wiU  alone  which  can  set  up  impossible 
barriers  against  the  merciful  presence  of  God  in  our  lives. 
If  we  give  him  the  chance  he  will  make  them  great  with 
power  and  peace. 

Points  of  Attack 

1.  Describe  the  physical  features  of  Palestine.  What  bear- 
ing had  the  topography  of  the  land  upon  the  task  of  fashion- 
ing the  tribes  into  a  nation?  Upon  the  Deuteronomic  demand 
for  the  centralization  of  worship? 

2.  What  contrasts  were  pointed  out  by  Hebrew  writers  be- 
tween Palestine  and  Egypt? 

3.  In  what  way  did  the  physical  features  of  Palestine  con- 
tribute to  the  development  of  ideas  concerning  the  providence 
of  God? 

4.  What  connection  existed  between  the  physical  conditions 
of  Canaan  and  the  Hebrew  assumption  of  Canaanitish  religious 
practices? 

5.  What  important  religious  beliefs  and  practices  were  bor- 
rowed from  the  Canaanites  by  the  Hebrews?  Were  the  people 
of  Israel  conscious  that  the  practices  of  these  Canaanitish  rites 
and  the  worship  at  Canaanitish  altars  were  disloyalty  to  Je- 
hovah? 

6.  To  what  extent  do  the  physical  features  of  Palestine  ex- 
plain Israel's  religion?    What  do  they  fail  to  explain? 

7.  To  what  extent  to-day  does  environment  shape  character? 
Who  should  be  honored  most:  the  man  who  has  overcome 
his  habit  of  drunkenness  or  the  man  who  never  has  used 
intoxicants?  If  to  overcome  handicaps  is  to  strengthen  char- 
acter, why  should  we  labor  to  eradicate  disease  and  poverty? 

8.  What  is  the  indispensable  factor  in  the  development  of 
ideal  character  in  men  and  women? 


PHYSICAL  FACTORS  91 

Additional  Discussions  of  the  Lesson 

Kent,  Bihlical  Geography  and  History,  pp.  13-63. 
G.  A.  Smith,  The  Historical  Geography  of  the  Holy  Land, 
pp.  45-116. 

Budde,  Religion  of  Israel  to  the  Exile,  pp.  39-76. 

Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  Volume  V,  p.  645. 

Wild,  Geographic  Influences  in  Old  Testament  Masterpieces. 


CHAPTEE  XII 

THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD  IN  THE  TIME  OF 
THE  JUDGES 

After  the  death  of  Moses  and  Joshua,  the  two  outstand- 
ing leaders  of  the  Israel  of  the  wilderness,  there  ensued 
a  period,  the  precise  limits  of  which  are  uncertain,  which 
is  known  as  "the  time  of  the  Judges/^  During  this  period 
the  Israelites  were  extending,  with  many  cycles  of  reverses 
and  successes,  their  influence  in  Canaan.  This  lesson  esti- 
mates the  religious  life  of  Israel  during  the  approximately 
two  hundred  years  from  Joshua  to  Samuel. 

The  Political  Conditions 

To  judge  correctly  the  religious  life  of  these  centuries 
one  must  gain  a  clear  conception  of  the  political  con- 
ditions. The  first  chapter  of  Judges  presents  the  story 
of  settlement  and  conquest.  Notice  that  the  tribes  set  out 
from  Jericho,  "city  of  palm-trees,^'  Judges  1.  16,  to  invade 
the  hill  country  and  either  attacked  the  Canaanites  by 
single  tribes  or,  as  in  the  case  of  Judah  and  Simon,  fought 
together,  1.  3.  Eead  1.  8,  9  and  compare  Joshua  15.  63 
and  observe  that  Judah  fought  his  way  to  Hebron,  but 
that  he  was  unable  to  take  the  Jebusite  stronghold  at  Jeru- 
salem. Eead  1.  27-35  and  notice  that  the  Israelites  fought 
for  their  land  with  varying  success ;  that  the  larger  cities, 
the  great  Plain  of  Esdraelon  separating  northern  and  cen- 
tral Palestine,  and  the  maritime  plain  remained  in  the 
possession  of  the  Canaanites ;  that  the  mountainous  region 
of  central  and  southern  Palestine  alone  was  mastered  by 
the  Israelites ;  that  in  many  localities  the  two  races  settled 
down  peaceably  side  by  side  and  mingled  in  marriage. 
Judges  3.  6;  8.  31;  14.  1-3. 

There  were  three  great  political  crises  in  these  years  in 
which  Israel  as  the  stronger  stock  was  assimilating  the 

92 


KINGDOM  OF  GOD  IN  TIME  OF  JUDGES      93 

large  Canaanitish  population.  The  first  of  these  was  the 
rally  of  the  Canaanites  under  Sisera  to  crush  the  pushing 
Israelites.  A  portion  of  the  Israelitish  clans  under  Deb- 
orah and  Barak  inflicted  a  crushing  defeat  upon  Sisera. 
Gilead  and  Eeuben  across  the  Jordan  gave  no  aid  to  the 
fighting  clans  of  Israel;  neither  did  Dan  and  Asher,  who 
were  on  more  intimate  terms  with  the  Canaanites.  Eead 
Judges  5  for  the  story.  The  second  crisis  was  the  press 
of  the  Midianites  upon  the  settlements  of  Israel  in  Pales- 
tine. These  Midianites  ranged  the  trans-Jordanic  coun- 
try, crossed  the  Jordan,  and  imposed  their  yoke  upon 
northern  Israel.  This  was  Gideon^s  opportunity.  Read 
Judges,  chapters  6  to  8,  for  the  account.  The  third  crisis 
was  the  apperance  of  the  Philistines  in  Israelis  history. 
With  their  appearance  in  connection  with  the  heroic  deeds 
of  Samson,  Judges  14  to  16,  the  political  history  of  Israel 
is  carried  to  Samuel  and  the  beginnings  of  the  Hebrew 
monarchy. 

Religious  Life  Duking  the  Period  of  the  Judges 

The  Hebrew  Idea  of  God. — The  Hebrews  recognized  that 
the  Canaanitish  deities  were  still  in  possession  of  the  land. 
Long  after  this  period  it  was  still  self-evident  in  Israel  that 
each  land  had  its  own  deity,  and  to  migrate  to  a  foreign 
land  was  to  change  one's  god,  1  Samuel  26.  19.  The  only 
way  to  obviate  this  necessary  change  of  deity  was  to  carry 
along  enough  of  one's  native  soil  upon  which  to  stand  the 
altar  of  one's  own  god  in  the  foreign  land,  2  Kings  5.  17. 
Israel,  at  the  time  Canaan  was  occupied,  could  not  help 
thinking  that  the  land  belonged  to  the  local  deities,  the 
Baals  everywhere  worshiped  by  the  Canaanites.  This  was 
the  more  true  since  Jehovah  had  not  wrested  the  land 
from  them  in  war.  The  fact  that  large  sections  of  the 
country  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  Canaanites  was 
additional  proof  that  their  gods  existed,  and  that  every 
resident  in  their  land  must  pay  them  honor. 

Therefore  the  worship  of  Jehovah  and  the  worship  of 
the  Baals  existed  side  by  side  in  Hebrew  life.  Jehovah 
was  the  national  God.    He  had  redeemed  them  from  Egypt ; 


94  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

he  united  the  tribes  into  a  confederation  by  his  covenant 
at  Sinai;  he  had  led  them  to  battle.  Their  residence  in 
Canaan  was  due  to  his  grace  and  power.  At  no  time  did  the 
Israelites  forsake  him.  Yet  at  the  same  time  Canaanitish 
Baals  also  seemed  real  to  them.  By  the  Canaanites  these 
were  regarded  as  the  patrons  of  agriculture;  the  farmers 
were  their  tenants.  Agriculture  in  itself  was  so  connected 
with  religion  that  plowing,  sowing,  and  harvesting  were 
in  some  fashion  religious  acts.  The  gods  had  shown  men 
how  to  till  the  soil,  Isaiah  28.  23-29,  and  good  harvests 
were  secured  only  by  faithful  attendance  upon  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  god.  Nothing  could  be  more  natural  than  that 
the  Hebrews  should  worship  the  Baals  of  Canaan. 

This  natural  thing  to  do  was  precisely  the  thing  they 
did.  "They  choose  new  gods,^'  sings  Deborah  of  the  Israel- 
ites as  they  made  their  way  into  Canaan,  Judges  5.  8. 
Joash,  the  father  of  Gideon,  was  a  worshiper  of  Baal, 
Judges  6.  25.  The  residents  of  Ophrah,  Gideon's  native 
town,  numbers  of  whom  were  Israelites,  all  were  worshipers 
of  the  local  Baal,  Judges  6.  30.  Later  historians  con- 
demned this  Hebrew  worship  as  defection  from  Jehovah, 
Judges  2.  11;  1  Samuel  12.  10,  and,  in  a  sense,  it  was. 
But  the  conditions  of  the  new  life  in  Canaan  made  this 
new  worship  the  most  natural  thing  of  their  world. 

During  this  period  Jehovah  was  regarded  by  the  Israel- 
ites as  having  his  residence,  not  in  Canaan,  but  in  Sinai, 
Exodus  33.  12-17,  Deuteronomy  33.  2.  It  is  from  his 
sacred  mountain  in  the  wilderness  that  he  comes  to  Canaan 
to  aid  his  people  in  their  struggle  with  Sisera,  Judges  5. 
4,  5.  As  late  as  the  times  of  Elijah,  the  certain  way  to 
realize  the  presence  of  Jehovah  was  to  seek  him  at  his 
sacred  residence  in  the  wilderness,  1  Kings  19.  8-14.  Dur- 
ing this  period  the  Ark  in  some  real  sense  represented  him 
and  assured  the  Israelites  of  his  presence.  There  were 
in  use,  too,  in  many  households  images  of  Jehovah  which 
kept  the  Israelites  alive  to  his  presence.  Judges  17.  3.  But 
it  was  not  until  Canaan  came  to  be  regarded  as  Jehovah's 
land  that  the  worship  of  the  Baals  gradually  died  away. 
This  conception  was  made  possible  largely  by  the  gradually 


KINGDOM  OF  GOD  IN  TIME  OF  JUDGES      95 

forming  view  that  Jehovah's  real  home  was  in  heaven :  but 
the  successes  of  Saul,  David,  and  Solomon,  who  led  Israel's 
armies  as  the  hosts  of  Jehovah  in  the  conquest  of  the 
Canaanitish  towns,  proved  also  that  Jehovah  was  the  real 
owner  and  possessor  of  the  land.  This  spiritual  conquest 
is  seen  in  the  fact  that  the  Canaanitish  name  of  deity, 
"Baal,"  which  means  "owner"  or  "possessor,"  came  to  be 
applied  to  Jehovah  himself,  Hosea  2.  16.  Many  proper 
names  compounded  with  "baal"  were  given  to  Hebrews  who 
were  unquestioned  worshipers  of  Jehovah;  for  example, 
Jerubbaal  (Judg.  6.  32),  Meribbaal  (1  Chron.  8.  34), 
Ishbah  (1  Chron.  4.  17),  and  what  is  more  striking, 
Bealiah,  that  is,  "Jehovah  is  Baal"  (1  Chron.  12.  5). 

Worship  During  the  Period. — Jehovah  was  worshiped 
at  numerous  shrines  during  these  unfolding  times  of  the 
Judges.  Gilgal  (Judg.  2.  1),  Ophrah  (Judg.  6.  24), 
Shiloh  (Judg.  18.  31);  Dan  (Judg.  18.  30),  Hebron  (2 
Sam.  5.  3),  and  Gibeon  (1  Kings  3.  4)  indicate  that  the 
process  of  seizing  the  land  for  Jehovah  constantly  was 
going  forward  during  the  period  of  the  Judges  and  the 
early  monarchy. 

Sacrifice  was  the  common  mode  of  worshiping,  whether 
the  deity  was  the  local  baal  or  Jehovah. 

Manoah's  sacrifice.  Judges  13.  19,  was  offered  "upon 
the  rock."  The  earliest  legislation  of  Israel  now  extant 
provides  for  altars  either  of  earth  or  of  unhewn  stone. 
Exodus  20.  24-25.  Such  sanctuaries  usually  were  on  the 
tops  of  hills:  the  "high  places"  so  frequently  mentioned 
in  the  Old  Testament.  Such  an  altar  is  said  to  have  been 
built  by  Joshua  upon  Mount  Ebal,  Joshua  8.  31.  It  was 
upon  a  hilltop  that  the  altar  to  Baal  stood  at  Ophrah, 
Judges  6.  26. 

At  Mount  Ebal  and  Ophrah  were  presented  the  typical 
Hebrew  offerings.  These  were  usually  oxen.  Sometimes 
they  were  sheep  or  goats,  Exodus  20.  24;  Judges  13.  19. 
Sometimes  these  were  whole  burnt-offerings,  the  entire 
animal  being  consumed  by  fire,  Judges  6.  28;  sometimes 
only  portions  of  the  animal  were  consumed  upon  the  altar, 
other  portions  being  eaten  by  the  worshipers;  and  in  case 


96  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

the  altar  was  in  charge  of  a  priest,  a  part  was  given  to 
him,  1  Samuel  1.  4;  2.  13-17.  The  Canaanites  placed  much 
more  stress  upon  the  sacrifice  of  the  produce  of  orchard, 
vineyard,  and  field  than  upon  animal  sacrifice.  Wine, 
grain,  and  oil  were  the  gifts  of  God  for  them.  The  nomad 
sacrifices  an  animal :  the  agriculturist  offers  the  product  of 
his  fields.  Olive  oil  (Judg.  9.  9),  wine  (Judg.  9.  13), 
and  meal  (Judg.  13.  19)  were  offered  to  Jehovah  during 
this  period.  The  meal  was  burned.  Judges  13.  19 ;  but  the 
oil  and  wine  no  doubt  were  poured  out  over  the  altar. 
Human  sacrifices,  at  exceptional  times,  took  place  in  these 
early  centuries.  The  story  of  Jephthah's  sacrifice  of  his 
daughter,  Judges  11.  30-39,  has  been  confirmed  by  excava- 
tions in  Canaanitish  cities,  which  show  remains  of  numer- 
ous human  sacrifices. 

Sacrifice  was  not  commonly  offered  by  a  priest  during 
the  period  of  the  Judges.  Gideon,  Jephthah,  and  Manoah 
were  not  priests,  and  yet  their  sacrifices  are  regarded  as 
legitimate  by  the  author  of  the  book  of  Judges.  Even  at 
Shiloh,  where  Eli  and  his  sons  were  priests,  they  did  not 
offer  the  sacrifice,  1  Samuel  2.  13.  The  head  of  the  family 
officiated  for  himself.  These  priests  were  the  custodians  of 
the  Ark. 

Images  of  Jehovah  were  frequently  in  use.  This  method 
of  making  the  presence  of  Jehovah  more  real  to  them 
probably  was  borrowed  from  the  Canaanites.  Whatever 
the  origin,  it  was  regarded  as  quite  legitimate  in  the  times 
of  the  Judges  and  the  early  monarchy.  Micah,  Judges 
17.  1-5,  evidently  had  two  images  of  Jehovah  in  his  house, 
a  graven  image  and  a  molten  image.  One  of  them  was 
an  ephod  and  the  other  was  a  teraphim.  He  built  a 
special  dwelling  for  them  and,  consecrating  one  of  his  sons 
a  priest,  put  him  in  charge  of  these  images.  Likewise 
Gideon  made  a  golden  ephod  and  set  it  up  in  his  village  of 
Ophrah,  Judges  8.  24-27.  These  ephods  were  various  in 
size.  One  quite  large  stood  in  the  sanctuary  at  Nod,  1 
Samuel  21.  9.  Others  were  small  enough  to  be  worn  by 
a  priest,  14.  3,  or  carried  in  the  hand,  23.  6.  The  sacred 
lot  was  cast  in  the  presence  of  the  ephod,  which  in  early 


KINGDOM  OF  GOD  IN  TIME  OF  JUDGES      97 

Israel  was  the  equivalent  of  the  presence  of  Jehovah.  They 
were  made  also  of  different  materials.  Mention  is  made 
of  gold,  Judges  8.  24-27,  and  linen,  1  Samuel  2.  18.  No 
doubt  other  materials  were  used.  These  images  in  many- 
cases  appear  to  have  been  covered  with  rich  cloths  upon 
which  representations  of  Jehovah  were  embroidered, 
Ezekiel  16.  17-19.  The  ephod  of  the  post-exilian  period 
is  described  in  Exodus  28.  6-35. 

These  shrines  and  sacred  places  were  the  appropriate 
place  for  making  vows,  Judges  11.  30,  for  covenants, 
11.  llj  for  revelations  of  Jehovah,  2.  4,  5;  6.  22-24,  for 
religious  feasts,  21.  19.  The  feasts  of  the  ingathering  of 
the  grapes  were  quite  likely  to  be  a  wild  occasion,  21.  21; 
9.  27. 

This  harvest  feast  was  celebrated  with  such  license  that 
it  was  called  "The  Feast"  (Judg.  21.  19  marginal  read- 
ing). It  was  the  chief  annual  event  in  Canaan,  both  for 
Canaanite  (Judg.  9.  9)  and  Hebrew  (1  Sam.  1.  3;  20.  6). 
Yet  it  was  but  one  of  the  three  great  festivals  which  the 
Hebrews  found  observed  by  the  Canaanites  and  which 
Israel  borrowed  from  them.  This  harvest  feast  is  called 
the  "feast  of  ingathering"  in  Exodus  23.  16.  The  other 
two  feasts  were  the  feast  of  Weeks,  Deuteronomy  16.  10 
("feast  of  harvest,"  Exod.  23.  16),  celebrated  at  the  close 
of  the  wheat  and  barley  harvest,  and  the  feast  of  the  Un- 
leavened Bread,  Exodus  23.  16,  celebrated  in  the  month 
Abib.  This  probably  was  some  sort  of  agricultural  festival 
found  by  the  Israelites  in  Canaan  with  which  they  asso- 
ciated the  Passover  which  they  brought  with  them  from 
the  wilderness.  This  united  festival  is  described  in  Deuter- 
onomy 16.  1-8. 

The  Coming  Kingdom 

At  first  view  the  times  of  the  Judges  seem  years  of 
serious  backward  movements  in  the  progress  of  God^s 
kingdom  in  Israel.  The  less  we  know  about  the  actual 
conditions  of  Hebrew  life  before  the  entrance  into  Canaan, 
the  more  does  it  seem  that  Israel  very  seriously  had  fallen 
from  her  loyalty  to  God.    It  was  in  this  manner  that  later 


98  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

historians  of  Israel  viewed  their  people's  earliest  years 
in  Canaan.  Some  of  the  great  prophets  too  came  to  feel 
that  the  whole  sacrificial  system,  built  up  almost  wholly 
upon  Canaanitish  soil  and  out  of  Canaanitish  ideas,  had 
been  a  calamitous  departure  from  Jehovah. 

These  views  need  modification.  The  nomad  never  can 
build  a  civilization.  To  this  day  the  Bedouin  pitches  his 
frail  black  tents  beside  the  ruins  of  Greek  and  Roman 
cities,  and  these  splendid  suggestions  of  ordered  life  mean 
nothing  to  him.  He  is  a  wanderer.  Whatever  fine  ideas 
he  dreams  under  the  stars  are  dissipated  with  the  day. 
If  the  Hebrews  were  to  build  a  kingdom  of  God,  they  had 
to  possess  a  land.  They  had  to  face  the  more  highly 
civilized  life  of  Canaan. 

It  was  not  a  new  idea  to  them  that  the  gods  were  the 
owners  of  the  land.  But  it  is  not  likely  that  the  deities 
ever  before  were  brought  so  intimately  into  their  lives. 
Numerous  sacred  places  with  their  altars,  the  various 
planting  and  harvesting  seasons,  the  more  frequent  sacri- 
fices, the  increased  variety  of  sacrifices,  all  tended  to  bring 
religion  and  life  into  more  intimate  terms. 

Then,  too,  the  idea  of  Deity  was  greatly  enriched  by 
their  experiences  in  Canaan.  Jehovah's  residence  was  at 
Sinai,  but  he  moved  with  his  people,  enabled  them  to 
establish  themselves  in  Canaan,  and  in  course  of  time,  in 
the  thought  of  the  Hebrews,  became  the  baal,  or  the  pos- 
sessor, of  Canaan  itself.  Their  settlement  in  Canaan  thus 
became  an  important  and  necessary  factor  in  the  process 
by  which  God  revealed  his  omnipresence  to  Israel.  The 
same  expansion  took  place  in  their  views  of  God's  powers. 
At  first  he  was  a  war  God,  a  shepherd's  Deity.  But  gradu- 
ally it  was  seen  that  he  was  also  the  patron  of  agriculture, 
that  there  were  no  interests  of  men  lying  outside  of  his  love 
and  providence.  It  is  impossible  to  understand  how  these 
finer  conceptions  of  religion  could  have  been  implanted  in 
the  thought  of  Israel  apart  from  her  actual  experiences. 

Future  studies  will  show  to  what  extent  the  time  of 
the  Judges  was  a  transition  period.  Jehovah  was  wor- 
shiped in  much  the  same  fashion  as  the  Canaanitish  baals : 


KINGDOM  OF  GOD  IN  TIME  OF  JUDGES     99 

by  burnt-offerings  of  the  produce  of  the  land  and  by  reli- 
gious festivals;  his  will  was  consulted  by  use  of  images 
and  the  ephod.  But  they  never  forgot  that  Jehovah  was 
their  national  Deity.  To  him  they  rallied  in  their  efforts 
to  subdue  the  Canaanites.  It  was  through  this  deep-rooted 
conviction  that  they  were  his  people,  that  they  called  him 
"Baal/^  and  it  was  the  consciousness  of  this  unique  rela- 
tionship— the  God  of  the  Wilderness  choosing  them  and 
winning  for  them  a  home  in  Canaan — on  which  all  future 
ascent  to  purer  conceptions  and  worship  was  grounded. 

To-day's  Opportunity 

The  Spiritual  Value  of  Hebrew  Sacrifice. — Sacrifice 
through  nearly  the  whole  of  Old  Testament  times  was  a 
great  and  solemn  business  in  Israel.  It  was  a  cry  after 
God.  It  was  an  expression  of  their  ideals.  It  was  a  con- 
ception of  their  humanness  and  limitations.  They  visioned 
a  life  which  their  unaided  power  could  not  reach.  They 
saw  power  and  sanctity :  they  felt  weak  and  sinful.  Their 
altars  and  bleating  sacrifices  were  the  crude  expression  of 
that  deathless  passion  of  the  soul  which  will  not  rest  under 
the  crushing  sense  of  weakness,  failure,  and  sin. 

The  Supreme  Requirement. — Bearing  in  mind  that  these 
early  worshipers  were  conscious  of  meeting  Jehovah  at 
their  altars  even  though  their  conceptions  of  him  were  un- 
developed, may  it  be  said  that  what  God  requires  of  any 
man  in  any  age  is  absolute  loyalty  to  the  conception  of 
God  which  he  has  given  to  that  individual?  The  worth 
of  a  religion  is  measured  primarily  by  the  grip  it  has  on 
men's  souls  to  hold  them  to  obedience  of  the  divine  will. 
It  is  the  loyalty  of  men  to  what  they  conceive  to  be  the 
divine  requirements  which  ever  constitutes  the  essence  of 
true  religion.  It  is  this  absolute  loyalty  to  the  revelation 
of  God  which  men  already  possess  that  opens  the  road  to 
finer  and  truer  beliefs  and  experiences.  It  is  the  invest- 
ment of  one's  present  moral  and  religious  capital  which 
leads  to  new  possessions. 

Judgment  Day. — Is  not  every  age  a  Judgment  Day  for 
all  preceding  generations  ?    That  we  are  able  to  pass  moral 


100  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

condemnation  upon  the  past  indicates  the  progress  of  the 
kingdom  of  God.  We  cannot  ever  return  to  negro  slavery. 
Men  used  to  think  it  was  ordained  by  God.  An  unthink- 
ing estimate  of  slavery  in  the  United  States  sees  in  every 
past  defender  of  the  slave  system  a  morally  rotten  citizen. 
But  God  does  not  so  pass  judgment.  He  judges  men,  not 
by  the  moral  conscience  of  later  times,  but  by  the  moral 
insight  of  their  own  generation.  Usually  succeeding  ages 
possess  a  more  finely  developed  moral  vision  than  earlier 
centuries.  Is  it  not  our  privilege  and  duty  to  anticipate  the 
moral  judgments  of  coming  generations  ?  There  are  great 
social  evils  now  hanging  their  millstone  weight  about  our 
national  life.  Physically  and  mentally  unSt  marriages, 
prostitution,  vicious  use  of  drugs,  the  beverage  use  of 
.alcoholic  liquors,  unsanitary  dwellings,  corrupt  legislation, 
and  overemphasis  on  the  material  goods  of  life — these 
surely  must  be  blotted  out  by  future  generations.  Will 
the  moral  conscience  of  those  heroic  reformers  who  end 
these  evils  be  more  keen  than  ours?  What  moral  insight, 
necessary  to  the  correction  of  these  ills,  will  they  possess 
which  we  do  not  have  ?  Is  it  not  possible  for  us  to  antici- 
pate their  moral  antagonism  to  every  unbrotherly  practice 
and  institution  ? 

Leading  Questions 

1.  Why  were  the  conquests  of  the  Israelites  limited  to  the 
liill  country  of  Palestine? 

2.  How  did  the  Israelites  compare  with  the  Canaanites  in 
civilization? 

3.  To  what  extent  did  the  invaders  adopt  the  civilization  of 
the  Canaanites  and  intermarry  with  them? 

4.  Why  did  the  Hebrews  become  worshipers  of  the  baals? 

5.  Who  were  some  of  the  most  ardent  Jehovahists  of  this 
period?    What  was  their  attitude  to  the  Canaanitish  gods? 

6.  By  what  process  were  the  Hebrews  convinced  that  Je- 
hovah was  the  owner  of  Canaan?  What  was  the  effect  of  this 
conviction  upon  their  religion? 

7.  Describe  the  materials  and  methods  of  worship  during 
the  period  of  the  Judges. 

8.  How  did  Jehovah  make  known  his  will  to  Israel  at  this 
time? 

9.  What  is  the  basis  of  just  judgment  of  men  and  institutions 
in  any  age? 


KINGDOM  OF  GOD  IN  TIME  OF  JUDGES    101 


References 

Kautzsch,  "The  Religion  of  Israel,"  Hastings's  Dictionary 
of  the  Bible,  Vol.  V.,  pages  634-648.  Budde,  Religion  of  Israel 
to  the  Exile,  chapter  II.  Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp. 
165-212. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
THE  DIVINE  PATIENCE  WITH  ISRAEL 

SUMMAEY  AND  ReVIEW 

Our  work  in  the  study  of  the  development  of  IsraePs 
religion  has  brought  us  to  the  threshold  of  the  Hebrew 
monarchy.  At  this  point  we  pause  to  take  stock  of  the 
religious  ideas  of  these  people  destined  under  God  to  be 
the  great  forerunners  of  Christian  civilization. 

Feom  Moses  to  Samson 

Recall  the  titles  and  general  content  of  Chapters  VI, 
VII,  VIII,  XI,  and  XII  and  consider  whether  they  do  not 
exhibit  three  distinct  and  epochal  events  in  the  develop- 
ment of  Israel's  religion.  Chapters  VI  and  VII  make 
clear  that  the  religious  life  of  Israel  really  began  with  the 
generation  of  the  Exodus.  All  that  the  patriarchs  had  be- 
lieved and  practiced  in  the  service  of  Jehovah  was  alien 
to  the  embittered  Hebrews  to  whom  Moses  brought  the 
strange,  hopeful  message  of  Jehovah's  grace  and  purposes. 

(a)  Under  such  conditions  was  not  the  deliverance  under 
Moses  a  truly  striking  epoch  in  Israel's  history,  and  is  not 
this  even  one  of  the  marvels  of  mankind?  Keeping  in 
mind  that  the  Hebrews  were  delivered  from  bondage 
through  a  great  religious  awakening,  what  was  the  essence 
of  the  religious  message  which  stirred  them  to  these  heroic 
efforts  in  their  own  behalf?  Try  to  re-create  the  life  of 
those  times  and  feel  the  grip  which  the  appeal  of  Moses 
made  to  his  people :  the  mighty  soul  of  this  man  who  made 
his  countrymen  believe  in  the  greatness  of  Jehovah,  the 
God  of  Horeb-Sinai,  and  the  strange  grace  through  which 
he  had  chosen  Israel  to  be  his  people. 

(h)  Was  not  the  second  great  advance  made  when  the 
people  at  Horeb-Sinai  solemnly  covenanted  to  have  Jehovah 
for  their  God  and  to  be  loyal  to  his  commands?     Read 

102 


THE  DIVINE  PATIENCE  WITH  ISRAEL    103 

again  in  Chapter  VIII  "The  Significance  of  the  Covenant." 
In  what  way  was  this  step  a  new  order  in  the  world's 
religion  ?  How  did  the  covenant  make  possible  an  ethical 
development  in  religion?  Did  such  development  actually 
take  place  in  Israel's  life? 

(c)  Consider  whether  the  settlement  of  Israel  in  Pales- 
tine did  not  precipitate  a  crisis  in  the  nation's  religious 
life.  (1)  Contrast  the  nomad's  life  with  the  permanent 
settlements  of  the  agriculturalist.  Had  Israel  settled  down 
in  an  uninhabited  land,  would  there  not  have  followed 
changes  of  religious  beliefs  and  practices  from  the  ex- 
change of  a  wandering  existence  for  a  fixed  abode  in  a  land 
so  highly  diversified  in  physical  features  as  Palestine? 
Permanent  sanctuaries,  more  elaborate  ritual,  an  order  of 
religious  persons  (priests)  were  sure  to  follow  from  such 
residence.  (2)  Added  to  such  physical  influences  at  work 
in  shaping  the  life  of  the  nation  was  the  social-religious 
life  of  the  Canaanitish  neighbors.  At  the  time  of  the- 
entrance  of  the  Hebrews  into  Palestine,  through  the  scat- 
tered references  in  the  Old  Testament  and  through  excava- 
tions, especially  at  Lachish,  Gezer,  Tanaach,  and  Megiddo, 
we  know  certain  features  of  Canaanitish  religion.  Images 
of  deities,  in  clay  and  metal,  were  in  common  use.  Sanc- 
tuaries usually  were  on  the  tops  of  hills,  and  sacred  stones 
to  which  the  blood,  oil,  or  wine  of  the  sacrifice  was  applied 
were  a  part  of  such  sacred  sites.  The  sacrifice  of  infants,, 
presumably  first-born,  was  common.  Sacrifices  to  the 
dead  occurred.  Foundation-sacrifices — that  is,  the  sacri- 
fice of  a  child,  man,  or  woman,  whose  bones  were  deposited 
under  the  walls  of  the  house  to  insure  its  stability  and  the 
welfare  of  its  inmates — were  some  of  the  gruesome  reli- 
gious practices  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  land.  An  inner 
and  an  outer  chamber  for  the  deliverance  of  oracles  were 
connected  with  the  sanctuary.  Such  were  some  of  the  reli- 
gious practices  and  beliefs  with  which  the  Hebrews  were 
confronted  in  their  own  home.  It  was  inevitable  that 
through  intermarriage  and  other  intimate  social  relations 
the  religion  of  Israel  should  be  modified  by  Canaanitish 
life. 


104  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

CEETAijf  Fundamental  Religious  Convictions 

It  is  impossible  now  to  trace  the  origin  of  certain  con- 
victions upon  which  religion  and  all  its  possible  develop- 
ment are  based.  Sometimes  they  come  as  a  sudden  intui- 
tion directly  from  God ;  sometimes  they  are  social  products, 
evolved  through  the  continued  patience  and  guidance  of 
God.  From  the  earliest  times  the  religious  life  of  man- 
kind has  been  dominated  by  certain  fundamental  ideas. 
While  the  details  of  the  patriarchal  age  remain  in  uncer- 
tainty, certain  religious  ideas  dominated  man^s  life  then, 
and,  indeed,  in  times  far  older  than  the  patriarchal  age. 
These  essential  ideas,  as  they  came  to  be  held  by  the  reli- 
gious leaders  of  Israel,  are  presented  in  Chapters  II — V. 

(1)  Man  is  a  spiritual  being.  He  is  by  nature  more 
nearly  related  to  God  than  to  the  physical  world.  Ham- 
pered at  every  turn  by  his  physical  bondage,  man  never 
has  been  content  to  measure  his  worth  by  flesh  alone.  He 
is  spirit,  and  through  his  spiritual  nature  he  belongs  to 
God.  Conviction  had  little  moral  meaning  in  the  earliest 
ages.  But  by  the  time  Israel's  histories  began  to  be  writ- 
ten this  consciousness  of  kinship  with  God  had  become 
the  highway  along  which  moral  meaning  and  spiritual 
values  were  entering  into  the  world's  religion. 

(2)  Man  must  obey  and  trust  God  to  secure  his  own 
best  interests.  His  destiny  is  linked  with  the  divine  order- 
ing of  his  life.  To  disregard  God's  will  is  sin,  and  such 
conduct  ends  in  disaster.  Man's  happiness  and  worth  de- 
pend upon  his  loyalty  to  God.  It  was  Israel's  function 
to  discover  that  God  was  not  indifferent  nor  jealous  and 
envious  of  man.  He  was  man's  master,  but  he  was  also 
man's  friend  and  father.  He  enters  into  the  most  inti- 
mate relations  with  men.  However  stern  his  will,  he  was 
not  seeking  to  crush  man,  but  to  exalt  him,  to  enrich  his 
life,  to  bring  him  into  a  glorious  inheritance.  When 
Israel  finished  with  the  thought  of  God,  some  exceedingly 
precious  convictions  and  experiences  had  been  won  for  the 
world. 

(3)  Israel's  historians  found  these  principles  so  uni- 


THE  DIVINE  PATIENCE  WITH  ISKAEL   105 

versal  that  they  irradiated  the  past  with  them.  They  read 
their  conception  of  God  into  the  consciousness  of  their 
far-off  ancestors.  Historically  they  may  have  been  mis- 
taken in  some  of  their  conjectures  as  to  their  national 
origin.  Eeligiously  they  were  sound.  The  simple  dignity 
with  which  they  showed  the  past  to  be  radiant  with  the 
mighty  purposes  of  God  has  been  the  wonder  and  the 
inspiration  of  the  world. 

God's  Forbearance  with  Israel 

Reread  the  titles  of  the  chapters  for  the  first  quarter 
and  state  concisely  the  main  theme  of  each.  Call  to  mind 
the  character  of  God  as  he  has  been  revealed  in  Jesus, 
and  the  manner  of  worship  and  the  mode  of  human  life 
which  Jesus  taught  were  acceptable  to  God,  then  consider 
how  much  of  the  heavenly  Father's  purpose  regarding  man- 
kind he  was  able  to  reveal  to  those  primitive  Hebrew  wor- 
shipers. Reflect  too  upon  the  exceeding  patience  and  love 
which  he  showed  toward  Israel  in  the  long  centuries  of 
his  tutelage.  Do  you  think  it  possible,  in  the  light  of 
these  lessons,  that  Israel  could  have  won  its  supreme 
place  among  the  races  of  the  earth  apart  from  the  special 
care  and  guidance  of  Jehovah?  If  he  did  so  choose  and 
guide  Israel,  must  it  not  have  been  that  from  its  lofty 
soul  Christianity  might  spring  to  transform  the  world  ? 

Read  Psalm  81  for  an  expression  of  Israel's  later  reflec- 
tion upon  the  exceeding  patience  and  love  of  Jehovah.  To 
the  prophets  and  psalmists  of  later  centuries,  the  early 
generations  of  Israel  had  not  been  duly  appreciative  of 
Jehovah's  love,  and  had  been  guilty  of  oft-repeated  dis- 
loyalty. Such  conduct  had  wrung  Jehovah's  heart  with 
sorrow  and  pain. 

"Oh  that  my  people  would  hearken  unto  me. 
That  Israel  would  walk  in  my  ways !" 

Such  had  been  Jehovah's  love  and  longing  through  all  the 
centuries  of  Israel's  willful  childhood. 

Perhaps  the  most  striking  development  of  religious  be- 


106  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

lief  in  this  period  was  the  process  through  which  God  was 
leading  Israel  toward  monotheism.  It  is  a  rare  instance 
of  patience,  of  tutelage  through  forbearing  love,  of  work- 
ing, misunderstood,  toward  a  distant  goal.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  the  generation  of  the  Exodus  regarded 
Horeb-Sinai  as  the  residence  of  Jehovah.  From  that  sanc- 
tuary he  had  sent  forth  Moses  to  lead  the  Hebrews  to 
this  sacred  mountain,  and  they  there  entered  into  covenant 
with  him.  Read  Exodus  33.  1-3  and  notice  that  Jehovah 
does  not  intend  to  go  in  person  to  Canaan.  He  will  abide 
at  the  sacred  mountain  and  send  an  angel  to  guide  his 
people.  Examine  Exodus  33.  12  and  observe  that  Moses 
does  not  take  as  granted  that  Jehovah  will  move  with  them 
to  Palestine.  On  the  contrary,  he  urges,  33.  15,  that  they 
may  stay  at  Horeb-Sinai  unless  Jehovah  goes  with  them 
in  person,  and  that  his  migration  with  his  people,  33.  16, 
will  be  the  rare  mark  of  his  favor  and  their  unique  dis- 
tinction from  all  other  peoples  of  the  world.  It  was,  in- 
deed, just  this  supreme  conviction  that  Jehovah  had  left 
his  ancient  abode,  33.  17,  to  lead  his  chosen  people  into 
possession  of  Canaan  which  constituted  the  unique  power 
of  Israel  in  their  earliest  days.  Turn  now  to  Judges  5. 
4  and  observe  that  Jehovah  came  from  Mount  Seir  (Horeb- 
Sinai)  by  the  way  of  Edom  to  champion  the  cause  of 
Israel  under  Deborah.  That  this  mountain  was  long 
peculiarly  associated  with  Jehovah  is  seen  from  1  Kings 
19.  8-18;  Psalms  68.  16;  Habakkuk  3.  3-15. 

Yet  during  the  earliest  years  of  Israel's  settlement  in 
Canaan  the  people  came  to  regard  Palestine  more  and  more' 
as  Jehovah's  land.  By  the  time  of  Samuel  and  Saul  it  had 
become  truly  Jehovah's  home,  so  that  the  exiled  David 
could  reproach  Saul  for  making  it  impossible  to  serve 
Jehovah  by  compelling  David  to  flee  across  the  borders  of 
Palestine,  Jehovah's  true  inheritance,  1  Samuel  26.  19. 
Numerous  prophetic  utterances  bear  witness  to  the  con- 
tribution to  monotheism  made  by  this  consciousness  of 
Israel's  migrating  God.  Jehovah,  whose  home  was  Horeb- 
Sinai  and  the  wilderness,  yet  who  led  his  people  from 
Egypt  and  settled  them  in  Palestine,  and  who  eventually 


THE  DIVINE  PATIENCE  WITH  ISRAEL   107 

became   the   God   of   Hebrew   soil,   expanded  in   IsraeFs 
thought  to  become  the  God  of  the  world. 

This  is  a  typical  case  of  development  of  religious  be- 
liefs. It  is  also  one  of  those  continual  marvels  of  God's 
patience  and  love  for  a  stumbling,  aspiring  world. 

The  Patience  of  God 

"How  poor  are  they  that  have  not  patience!''  exclaims 
one  of  the  characters  in  Othello.  God  is  exceedingly  rich. 
To  a  soul  yearning  for  a  perfect  world,  how  torturingly 
slow  have  been  the  movements  toward  human  righteous- 
ness !  Faith  knows  no  severer  struggle  than  to  wait.  "How 
long,  0  God,  how  long  ?"  has  been  the  painful  cry  of  many 
a  troubled  soul.  One  clear  thing  about  the  Kingdom  is 
that  God  has  not  hurried  it.  Centuries  passed  after  the 
first  man  awoke  to  human  self-consciousness  before  God 
made  his  covenant  with  Israel  at  Sinai.  Centuries  were 
added  until  his  Christ  came.  Centuries  multiply  and  still 
we  dare  not  call  ourselves  Christian.  At  what  far-off  day 
will  God's  kingdom  really  be  here?    We  do  not  know. 

But  we  cannot  break  with  belief  in  God.  Man  is  made 
incurably  religious.  By  the  profoundest  needs  of  our 
life,  we  are  driven  to  feel  that  some  divine  purpose  runs 
through  all  the  delays  of  our  hopes.  God  is  patient  for 
a  purpose.  We  cannot  think  that  he  is  unconcerned  or 
powerless.  He  watches  our  gropings  after  the  higher  life 
with  a  steady,  untiring  working  to  lead  us  and  to  mold 
us  into  the  civilization  of  his  kingdom.  Centuries  may 
come  and  go,  but  God  is  neither  delayed  nor  baffled,  nor 
weary,  nor  impatient.  His  kingdom  comes  according  to 
his  will. 

We  can  be  patient  too;  patient  as  God  is  patient.  To 
be  patient  is  not  to  be  idle.  The  patient  man  is  the  man 
with  a  great  purpose,  and  great  purpose  ever  imposes  great 
labor.  The  man  with  a  great  purpose  lives  with  quietness 
of  mind  whatever  may  be  his  outward  struggles.  No  per- 
son ever  lived  with  greater  calmness  of  mind  than  Christ. 
He  knew  that  he  was  traveling  undefeated  toward  far-off 


108  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

goals.     He  lived  at  peace  with  his  own  soul.     The  man 
with  a  majestic  cause  does  not  worry ;  he  works. 

Great  patience  does  not  ask  finality  of  excellence  at  any 
step  in  the  long  process  except  at  the  last.  God's  use  of 
Israel  indicates  that  the  Mosaic  age  was  not  for  him  the 
end,  but  the  beginning  of  his  unique  revelation  within 
Hebrew  life.  Let  us  see  the  Kingdom  as  a  continual  pos- 
sibility, and  we  shall  radiate  hope  and  trust  through  all 
our  long-suffering.  No  one  need  attack  a  social  injustice 
to-day  with  faint  heart.  Its  presence  is  no  guarantee  for 
its  permanence.  No  one  need  shrink  from  championing 
a  new  movement  toward  righteousness  in  its  small  begin- 
nings. It  is  God's  way  to  let  man  struggle  upward  through 
twilight  unto  day. 

GUIDEPOSTS  TO  THE  SPIRITUAL  CiTY 

Seek  the  Sunrise. — All  vital  religion  faces  the  sunrise. 
Israel  ever  seems  to  have  traveled  toward  the  spiritual 
dawn.  Every  truly  great  religious  experience  is  measured 
by  the  number  of  its  dissatisfactions.  Each  man  is  obligated 
to  the  God  whom  he  knows.  But  he  must  believe  that  the 
God  waiting  to  be  known  is  incomparably  more  wonderful 
than  he  who  already  has  been  experienced.  You  have  not 
yet  seen  the  whole  mind  of  God.  Expect  new  revelations. 
Be  open-eyed  to  new  leaders.  Stand  with  soul  tiptoe  to 
new  deliverances  of  truth  and  justice.  Keep  your  heart 
in  blossom.  Keep  your  mind  on  edge.  Travel  the  great 
highways  of  the  future  with  God.  Live  with  your  hopes 
in  the  blue  spaces  of  the  sky. 

Be  Original. — Do  not  be  content  with  the  "credo"  of 
others.  Seek  an  immediate  experience  of  God.  In  addi- 
tion to  all  that  he  has  spoken  through  others,  believe  that 
he  wishes  to  speak  something  to  you  at  first  hand.  The 
world  is  yet  in  its  swaddling  clothes.  The  broad  outlines 
of  the  revelation  which  God  made  in  Christ  are  waiting 
to  be  filled  in  by  countless  revelations  of  his  further  pur- 
poses. Believe  something  new  about  God.  Swing  out  into 
some  reform  in  God's  name.  Attack  some  social  injustice 
in  the  good  cause  of  Christ.    Do  not  expect  that  any  social 


THE  DIVINE  PATIENCE  WITH  ISEAEL   109 

institution  is  final.  No  social  wrong  is  immortal.  Start 
something  in  the  line  of  righteousness. 

Be  Brave. — Do  not  fear  any  leader  in  your  community 
who  leads  a  vicious  life.  Do  you  permit  business,  social, 
or  political  success  to  give  authority  to  evil  men?  Chal- 
lenge such  leadership  at  every  turn.  Assail  all  such  who 
would  be  the  civic  spokesmen  of  your  community.  In- 
stitutions have  no  inherent  sacredness.  Their  sanctity 
comes  from  the  service  which  they  render  to  humanity. 
When  they  cease  to  serve  they  must  perish.  Speak  out 
plainly  that  any  social  institution,  any  form  of  worship, 
any  religious  creed,  any  political  dogma,  when  the  soul  of 
usefulness  which  gave  it  birth  and  activity  has  vanished, 
must  die.  Examine  your  political,  social,  and  religious 
opinions  to  see  whether  they  have  ceased  to  be  convictions. 
Believe  nothing  which  you  cannot  believe  passionately. 

Be  Hopeful. — This  is  God's  universe.  He  has  not  ab- 
dicated his  throne  in  the  favor  of  the  devil.  The  raging 
passions  of  men  cannot  unseat  him.  No  revolution  of  mad 
imperialists  can  wrest  the  scepter  from  his  hands.  He 
rules  the  world.  Evil  may  fume  out  its  little  hour ;  eternity 
belongs  to  God.  The  universe  is  fundamentally  righteous. 
God  is  moral.  This  government  and  providence  will  be 
justified  in  the  mind  of  the  last  personal  being  whom  he 
rules.  Be  cheerful  at  defeats :  they  are  the  prelude  of  final 
victory.  Do  not  shrink  from  pain.  Heartache  has  been 
a  password  to  paradise.  A  cross  gave  Christ  his  throne. 
Hope  is  written  across  every  page  of  IsraeFs  life.  Because 
the  Hebrew  hoped,  he  arrived  at  some  golden  goals  of  God. 

Themes  fob  Consideration 

1.  State  the  changes  which  took  place  in  the  political  and 
economic  life  of  Israel  in  the  period  under  review. 

2.  State  the  three  great  significant  changes  in  the  religious 
life  of  Israel  during  the  same  period. 

3.  What  great  fundamental  principles  of  religion  underlie 
Israel's  religious  life? 

4.  Why  does  the  development  of  religion  proceed  so  slowly? 

5.  Which  is  better  in  individual  and  community  life:  to 
have  reached  the  goal  or  ever  to  be  traveling  hopefully  toward 
better  things? 


110  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISKAEL 

Selected  Readings 

McNeile,  The  Book  of  Exodus,  pp.  cvi-cxviii. 

Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  132-164. 

Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  Volume  V.  pp.  624-645. 

Barton,  A  Sketch  of  Semitic  Origins,  pp.  269-308. 

W.  R.  Smith,  The  Prophets  of  Israel,  pp.  1-46. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
THE  BIRTH  OF  THE  MONARCHY 

Our  chapters  have  brought  us  to  the  threshold  of  the 
Hebrew  monarchy.  The  establishment  of  the  kingdom  had 
far-reaching  effects  upon  the  religious  life  of  Israel.  The 
next  four  chapters  will  outline  the  political  life  of  the 
period  following  the  judges  to  the  enthronement  of  Solo- 
mon and  indicate  the  changes  in  religious  beliefs  and  prac- 
tices. Three  men,  Samuel,  Saul,  and  David,  were  the 
leaders  in  the  nationalization  of  the  tribes  which  had 
spread  half  victoriously  across  Palestine  through  two  cen- 
turies. The  chapter  to-day  presents  Samuel  as  the  last 
of  the  judges  and  the  first  of  the  prophets,  the  connecting 
Link  between  the  old  order  of  Hebrew  life  under  the  judges 
and  the  new  order  under  the  monarchy. 

I.    The  Judgeship  of  Samuel 

Samnel,  The  Man. — Read  1  Samuel  1.  1-28.  Consider 
the  home  in  which  Samuel  was  born.  What  motive  led 
Hannah  to  pray  for  a  son?  Samuel  was  born  in  a  reli- 
gious home.  His  parents  believed  that  his  birth  was  a 
direct  answer  to  prayer.  Their  religion  lacked  many  ethi- 
cal elements  which  we  now  regard  essential  to  piety.  It 
countenanced  polygamy.  It  placed  responsibility  for 
Samuel's  nurture  and  career  almost  wholly  upon  his 
mother.  Religion  was,  in  its  most  cherished  forms,  too 
occasional  (1.  4).  Read  2.  11,  18-21,  26;  3.  1-21  for  de- 
tails concerning  the  childhood  and  youth  of  Samuel.  What 
were  the  duties  of  Samuel  at  Shiloh?  Samuel  begins  his 
career  at  Shiloh  as  a  boy-priest,  2.  18,  and  develops  into 
a  prophet,  3.  20.  In  all  of  Samuel's  relations  with  his 
people  he  impressed  them  with  his  upright  character.  His 
fellow  Hebrews  recognized  his  probity  of  life  and  his  pro- 
Ill 


112  THE  BXLIGIOX  OF  ISEAEL 

phetic  mission.  He  was  a  "prophet  of  Jehovah/*  3.  20; 
later  gtenerations  believed  thai  he  wa?  unusually  given  to 
prayer.  S.  6:  12.  19.  23.  and  Jerexaiah  15.  1.  His  upright- 
ness of  cliaraeter  was  universaHv  aelmowledi:red,  1  Samuel 
12.1-6. 

Samuel,  The  Jud^  and  Seer. — The  book  of  Samuel  does 
not  give  us  a  uniform  eoneeption  of  the  public  service 
rendered  by  Samuel  to  his  people.  The  one  portrait  shows 
him  to  be  the  outstanding  leader  of  his  people  and  Je- 
hovah's direct  representative  in  the  guidance  of  Hebrew 
life.  Eead  1  Samuel  T.  2-8.  13.  Here  Samuel  is  the  theo- 
cratic ruler  and  judge  until  the  end  of  his  life,  T.  15. 
and  he  planned  that  his  sons  should  succeed  him.  8.  1.  His 
home  was  at  Bamalu  7.  IT,  and  from  tbis  place  he  made 
a  circuit  of  the  land  to  administer  justice.  He  persuades 
the  Israelites  to  cease  their  worship  of  Canaanitish  and 
Babylonian  deities.  7.  4.  and  summons  them  to  a  national 
council  at  Mizpah  which  ends  in  a  general  c-onfession  of 
the  sin  of  aposta.sy.  7.  6.  By  his  prayers  he  miraculously 
rescues  his  people  from  the  oppression  of  the  PhiHstines, 
7.  7-12.  and  exids  forever  their  raids  and  their  oppressive 
rule  in  the  highlands  of  Palestine.  7.  13.  Eead  9.  6-27; 
10. 1-7,  9-16.  Here  a  distinctly  different  picture  of  Samuel 
is  presented.  Saul  appears  to  be  unaware  of  the  existence 
of  Samuel.  9.  5-7.  He  lives  in  an  obscure  Hebrew  village 
in  the  Ephraimite  highlands.  He  is  a  professional  seer. 
The  c-ommon  people  think  of  him  as  a  successful  fortune- 
teller who  must  be  paid  for  his  services.  He  acts  as  a 
priest  to  preside  at  public  sacrifices.  9.  li.  But  however 
humble  Samuel's  position  was.  he  was  great  enough  to 
foresee  the  necessity-  of  the  monarchy,  to  select  the  man 
who  led  the  first  nationalizing  movement  in  Israel,  and  to 
give  to  Saul  and  his  political  aims  the  suppon  of  the 
professionally  religious  persons  of  his  times. 

The  Begin'xxs'g  of  the  Kingdom 

The  Political  Weakness  of  Israel. — Examine  the  follow- 
ing sections  closely  and  estimate  the  political  dangers  of 
Israel  from  their  Philistine  neighbors:  1  Samuel  13.  6, 


. . —     ,  -. -   .  -    — 

■  — 

113 

time  "J-.       -                                    :  'iaj  w-.  - 

— 

'   -    ~_  -_ 

-   .                                            '     - 

_   .„         _    - 

-:    -      7    -  ■  - 

^          -     _    - 

- 

- 

—  ~     '    "          ~ '    ' "      ~  "    -  -    -  - . 

^          - 

I L       ^                                           1 7-^7.  az 

s/r-sl 

^       " 

~_   ~ 

114  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

of  religious  persons,  priests  become  the  actual  rulers  of  the 
people. 

Now  read  9.  1  to  10.  16  and  11.  1-11,  15.  Observe  with 
care  9.  15-17.  Here  Samuel  seems  to  hear  of  the  king- 
ship for  the  first  time  in  a  revelation  from  Jehovah.  The 
kingship  is  here  regarded  as  a  divinely  appointed  instru- 
ment of  Jehovah's  mercy  for  Israel.  This  passage  regards 
Saul,  like  Moses,  a  great  deliverer  raised  up  by  the  com- 
passion of  Jehovah.  Are  these  two  views  of  the  kingship 
contemporaneous  ?  Or  does  the  attitude  of  hostility  belong 
to  later  generations  which  had  disastrous  experience  with 
kings?  It  is  not  probable  that  the  whole  of  Israel  was 
eager  for  the  monarchy.  There  are  always  conservatives 
who  can  see  no  wisdom  and  worth  in  social  changes.  There 
may  have  been  some  who  shrewdly  foresaw  the  narrowed 
individual  liberty  and  the  increased  economic  burdens  to 
which  the  existence  of  a  royal  house  committed  them.  It 
is  probable  that  this  was  the  view  of  the  priestly  class 
and  perhaps  also  of  the  shepherds  who  were  comparatively 
safe  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  hills.  But  this  attitude  was 
not  the  prevailing  view,  and  neither  was  it  politically  wise. 
The  most  spiritually  religious  persons  believed  that  the 
monarchy  was  graciously  approved  by  Jehovah.  It  was 
his  institution  to  accomplish  his  people's  redemption  from 
the  Philistine.  This  latter  view  lies  nearer  the  historical 
situation  than  the  former. 

The  Choice  of  Saul. — The  dual  account  of  the  origin 
of  the  monarchy  continues  in  its  record  of  the  coronation 
of  Saul.  In  the  section  which  glorifies  the  theocracy  and 
shows  hostility  to  the  monarchy,  Saul  is  chosen  by  lot  in 
a  great  national  assembly,  1  Samuel  10.  19-24,  and  is 
publicly  acclaimed  king.  But  in  the  alternate  account  the 
person  of  the  new  king  is  made  known  to  Samuel  privately 
by  a  direct  revelation,  9.  17;  he  is  anointed  king  privately 
by  Samuel,  10.  1;  he  is  assured  of  his  new  position  by  a 
series  of  foretold  events,  10.  2-7;  he  bears  within  himself 
through  his  experience  of  the  prophetic  spirit,  the  divine 
assurance  of  his  mission,  10.  10;  and  public  recognition 
of  his  new  office  and  authority  is  won  through  a  signal  ex- 


THE  BIRTH  OP  THE  MONARCHY         115 

ample  of  his  successful  military  leadership,  11.  1-11.  Here, 
again,  the  view  which  regards  the  monarchy  as  the  natural 
outgrowth  of  political  and  religious  needs  seems  to  be  much 
nearer  the  actual  situation. 

Hebkew  Religious  Life  at  the  Threshold  of  the 
Monarchy 

The  Else  of  Prophetism. — The  coronation  of  Saul  not 
only  introduces  a  great  political  change  among  the  He- 
brews, but  this  event  coordinates  with  the  first  appearance 
of  an  expression  of  religion,  which,  in  time,  was  to  give 
to  Hebrew  religious  life  a  unique  and  revolutionary  place 
in  the  world.  Read  attentively  1  Samuel  10.  5-6,  10-13. 
This  is  the  first  appearance  of  prophecy  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. It  is  crude  enough  yet,  but  it  is  to  give  the  world 
an  Amos  by  and  by.  Note  that  these  prophets  were  com- 
ing from  a  sanctuary  of  Jehovah,  that  they  were  playing 
musical  instruments,  that  the  spirit  of  Jehovah  had  come 
mightily  upon  them,  and  that  they  were  speaking  or  rav- 
ing as  they  walked.  In  the  popular  mind  prophet  and  mad- 
man were  synonymous;  see  2  Kings  9.  11,  Jeremiah  29. 
26,  and  Hosea  9.  7.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  question, 
1  Samuel  10.  12,  "And  who  is  their  father?''  Note  the 
presence  of  a  Philistine  garrison  in  Saul's  own  town,  10. 
5  (read  the  marginal  note).  Prophecy  has  its  historical 
birth  in  the  same  village  where  the  new  national  aspirations 
were  taking  definite  form.  Examine  9.  20,  marginal  read- 
ing. To  what  extent  is  the  patriotic  feeling  awakening? 
Had  Saul  been  brooding  over  the  oppression  of  his  people 
and  hoping  for  an  opportunity  to  head  a  rebellion  ?  Notice 
that  Saul,  after  the  ecstatic  mood  had  passed,  ascends  to 
the  "high  place."  Perhaps  he  longed  to  know  further  the 
will  of  Jehovah. 

Worship. — Worship  at  the  beginning  of  the  monarchy  is 
similar  to  the  beliefs  and  practices  which  obtained  through 
the  later  period  of  the  judges.  Worship  takes  place  at  the 
various  high  places,  sacrifice  is  performed  by  the  heads  of 
families,  priests  are  custodians  of  those  sanctuaries  where 
sacred  objects  are  to  be  guarded.   Sacred  feasts  are  held  at 


116  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

these  sanctuaries  and  the  sacrifice  of  animals  and  the  pro- 
ducts of  the  soil  are  offered.  Examine  1  Samuel  1.  3  and 
state  what  was  the  outstanding  religious  observance  of  this 
period.  What  took  place  at  these  festivals?  See  1.  4=,  5. 
What  hint  of  the  character  of  these  animal  festivals  is 
found  in  1.  14  and  2.  22?  Who  made  the  sacrifices? 
What  was  the  function  of  the  priests  ?  It  was  the  custom 
at  these  annual  feasts  for  the  head  of  the  family  to  give 
the  fat  of  the  animal  to  be  burned  in  sacrifice  upon  the 
altar  and  then  to  present  some  of  the  cooked  meat  to  the 
priests.  The  remainder  was  eaten  by  the  family  which 
made  the  sacrifice.  Note  the  double  offense  of  Eli's  sons, 
2.  12-17. 

What  notion  of  the  sanctuary  at  Shiloh  is  to  be  had 
from  chapter  three?  Note  the  sanctity  of  the  vow  made 
by  Hannah.  Study  closely  9.  11-14.  Keeping  in  mind 
that  Samuel  was  an  ardent  worshiper  of  Jehovah,  observe 
that  there  is  yet  in  Israel  no  condemnation  of  sanctuaries 
on  the  Canaanitish  "high  places."  What  additional  details 
of  their  sacrificial  worship  are  given  in  the  account  of  the 
meeting  of  Saul  and  Samuel  at  Eamah?  9.  12-14,  22-25. 

SuMMAKY :  The  Progress  of  the  Kingdom 

The  Religious  Need  for  Political  Change. — The  growth 
of  Israel's  religion  required  a  stable  political  organization. 
Jehovah  could  not  be  the  God  of  his  people  unless  his 
people  were  strong  enough  politically  to  preserve  and 
develop  their  national  life.  The  author  of  the  book  of 
Judges  recognizes  that  Palestine  was  a  land  of  lawless- 
ness and  disorder  until  the  kingdom  arose  to  unite  the 
tribes  into  some  sort  of  nation  (Judges  17.  6;  18.  1;  19. 
1;  21.  25).  Samuel,  although  honored  at  Eamah  and 
known  for  his  probity  and  wisdom  possibly  throughout  the 
land,  was  not  the  military  genius  whom  his  country  needed. 
Samuel  had  brooded  over  the  desperate  situation  of  his 
people.  The  Philistines  had  swarmed  up  from  the  mari- 
time plain  into  the  Judsean  and  Ephraimite  hills,  overawed 
the  Hebrews,  and  planted  their  tribute-gathering  posts 
among  them.     When  his  eyes  rested  upon  Saul,  Samuel 


THE  BIRTH  OF  THE  MONARCHY         117 

knew  that  this  was  Jehovah's  prince  who  would  inaugurate 
the  kingdom  needed  to  preserve  Israel's  political  and  reli- 
gious life.  There  is  no  indication  that  Samuel  belonged 
to  those  mad  wandering  prophets  to  whom  Saul  attached 
himself,  but  he  was  none  the  less  an  ardent  patriot  and 
champion  of  Jehovah. 

The  Beginnings  of  Prophetism. — The  prophetic  move- 
ment is  the  outstanding  religious  event  of  the  period.  We 
shall  see  that  the  prophets  were  the  most  ardent  champions 
of  Jehovah  during  the  whole  of  Israel's  national  life.  Reli- 
gion and  patriotism  were  one  to  them.  The  Philistine  in- 
vasion was  the  greatest  political  danger  faced  by  Israel 
until  the  investment  of  Samaria  by  Sargon,  and  here,  as 
at  other  political  crises  which  resulted  happily  for  Israel, 
the  nation  was  saved  through  a  religious  revival.  These 
raving  prophets,  though  no  ethical  teaching  of  theirs  has 
come  down  to  us,  were  the  force  which  stirred  the  tribes 
to  a  common  stand  in  the  name  of  Jehovah  against  their 
enemies.  Saul's  alliance  with  them  is  proof  enough  of  the 
service  they  rendered  Israel.  Although  this  prophetic  move- 
ment was  new  and  was  regarded  with  suspicion  (1  amuel 
10.  12),  these  prophets  furnished  the  fire  of  rebellion  for 
more  timid  patriots  and  the  example  of  new  loyalty  to  the 
God,  the  covenant  with  whom  Israel  had  begun  to  doubt 
and  forget.  The  monarchy  was  born  in  the  Jehovah-in- 
spired passion  of  their  souls. 

For  Spiritual  Dreamers 

The  Parentage  of  Inspiration. — Inspiration  has  never 
made  its  way  into  dull,  dreamless  lives.  It  is  the  man 
who  aspires  who  becomes  inspired.  Man  must  desire  great 
things  before  God  can  trust  him  with  a  great  message  or 
a  great  commission.  Inspiration  is  never  merely  given 
to  a  man.  It  is  the  divine  flowering  of  human  yearnings 
for  a  better  world.  It  is  the  high  mountain  which  sur- 
mounts the  clouds.  It  is  to  the  daring  spiritual  dreamer 
and  ethical  thinker  that  God  discovers  his  new  purposes 
and  character. 

The  Selection  of  Kings. — The  world  ever  will  keep  on 


118  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

seeking  kings.  The  world  wants  things  done,  barriers 
to  progress  thrown  down,  moral  reforms  championed.  Its 
choice  will  fall  on  great  men.  The  man  who  "can''  is 
king.  Democracy  will  be  guided  by  its  kings.  It  is  a 
man's  duty  to  aspire  to  great  usefulness.  Saul's  inmost 
being  protested  against  the  Philistine  garrison  at  his  door. 
Other  things  than  lost  asses  bothered  him.  He  dreamed  of 
an  uprising  in  the  good  cause  of  Israel's  God.  It  was  this 
dreamer  whom  Jehovah  and  Samuel  selected  to  build  the 
Hebrew  state. 

Listening  to  the  Spiritual  Voices. — Let  each  man  live 
out  the  finest  passions  of  his  soul.  He  never  knows  what 
smoldering  heart  he  will  blow  into  flame.  Those  madmen 
with  the  harps  and  timbrels  did  not  rave  about  Gibeah's 
sanctuary  in  vain.  They  had  Saul  for  audience.  Saul 
too  became  obedient  to  his  spiritual  promptings.  He  be- 
came a  prophet.  Then  he  became  a  king.  Samuel  obeyed 
the  inner  prompting  and  he  passes  into  immortality  as  a 
maker  of  kings.  A  man's  chance  at  kingship  is  small  un- 
less he  is  obedient  to  the  spiritual  voices  which  summon  to 
great  endeavor.  No  one  can  foretell  what  the  humblest 
man  who  is  loyal  to  his  religious  convictions  may  accom- 
plish in  the  world. 

Religion  and  Eeform. — The  presence  of  the  Philistines 
was  a  clog  upon  Hebrew  life.  It  was  breaking  down  the 
family.  New  gods  were  being  worshiped.  National  feel- 
ing was  passing  away.  True  religion  among  the  Israelites 
required  political  independence  and  a  stable  government. 
Religion  and  patriotism  fused  in  the  same  forceful  souls. 
Genuine  religion  ever  advocates  social  change.  No  existent 
social  conditions  are  wholly  the  friends  of  Christianity. 
The  true  Christian  spirit  is  a  revolutionary  spirit.  It  de- 
mands the  better  day.  It  seeks  those  political  and  economic 
conditions  wherein  the  spirit  of  man  is  free  to  pursue 
unhindered  the  culture  which  the  inner  life  demands. 

Topics  fob  Discussion 

1.  What  made  it  possible  for  the  Philistines  to  occupy  the 
highlands  of   Palestine?     What   religious  calamity   did  they 


THE  BIRTH  OF  THE  MONARCHY  119 

bring  upon  Israel?    Why  was  the  system  of  judges  incapable 
of  warding  off  their  aggressions? 

2.  Why  was  the  monarchy  a  political  necessity?  Estimate 
the  value  of  Samuel's  services  to  Israel.  Why  did  the  choice 
for  the  kingship  light  upon  Saul? 

3.  What  were  the  most  observable  religious  practices  in 
Samuel's  day?  In  what  ways  did  Eli's  sons  offend  the  people 
at  their  sacrificial  feasts?  Who  offered  the  sacrifices?  What 
was  the  function  of  the  priest?  What  would  have  been  the 
fate  of  Israel's  religion  apart  from  the  monarchy?  What  did 
the  kingship  contribute  to  the  religious  life  of  Israel? 

4.  What  is  meant  by  prophetism  in  Samuel's  day?  What 
did  it  contribute  to  the  birth  of  the  monarchy?  What  hint 
is  there  of  Israel's  consciousness  of  being  the  covenant  people 
of  Jehovah?  What  events  had  dimmed  this  belief  and  feeling 
in  Israel? 

Profitable  References 

Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  213-217. 
Budde,  The  Religion  of  Israel  to  the  Exile,  pp.  77-103. 
Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  pp.  650-653. 
Kent,  Biblical  Geography  and  History,  pp.  136-146. 


CHAPTER  XV 
THE  KINGSHIP  OF  SAUL 

The  political  necessity  of  the  monarchy  was  made  evi- 
dent in  the  last  chapter.  Without  a  more  stable  govern- 
ment than  the  clan-life  of  the  period  of  the  judges,  the 
Hebrews  would  have  vanished  from  history.  The  present 
lesson  continues  the  study  of  Saul's  reign  and  considers 
the  religious  conditions  of  the  early  monarchy.  The  study 
will  be  confined  to  those  sections  which  present  the  king- 
ship as  divinely  ordered.  These  are  1  Samuel  9.  1  to  10. 
16;  11.  1-11,  15;  13.  2-7,  15-18,  23;  14.1-46,  52. 

The  Political  Leadeeship  of  Saul 

Saul's  Political  Services  for  Israel. — After  Saul's  anoint- 
ment by  Samuel  and  the  assurance  which  his  religious  ex- 
perience near  the  high  place  at  Gibeah  gave  him  (10.  10), 
Saul  returned  home  and  remained  quietly  at  his  customary 
tasks.  About  a  month  later  came  the  opportunity  to  exer- 
cise his  leadership  of  Israel.  Eead  1  Samuel  11.  1-5.  A 
city  across  the  Jordan  was  besieged  by  the  Ammonites. 
Messengers  from  the  doomed  city  sought  to  secure  relief 
from  their  brethren.  They  passed  from  town  to  town,  but 
everywhere  they  were  met  with  tears  of  sympathy,  but  no 
leader  appeared  to  raise  an  army  among  the  subject  peo- 
ple. The  messengers  finally  came  to  Saul's  town,  and 
here,  no  doubt  to  their  surprise,  their  appeal  was  not  made 
in  vain.  Eead  1  Samuel  11.  6-11.  What  symbolism  was 
used  by  Saul  to  raise  his  army?  The  suffering  people 
must  have  rejoiced,  even  if  they  trembled  with  fear,  that 
a  new  leader  was  arising  in  Israel.  Note  the  natural  sequel 
of  this  successful  campaign,  11.  15.  The  people  solemnly 
acknowledge  before  the  ancient  sanctuary  of  Gilgal  the 

120 


THE  KINGSHIP  OF  SAUL  121 

kingship  of  him  whose  faith  and  courage  were  inaugurating 
a  new  day  in  Israel. 

Emboldened  by  his  success  against  the  Ammonites,  Saul 
retains  a  picked  standing  army  which  he  stations  in  three 
important  positions.  Eead  13.  2-7.  What  was  the  first 
act  to  throw  off  the  Philistine  yoke  ?  The  Philistines  were 
quick  to  punish  Jonathan's  rebellion.  Judging  by  the 
panic  which  swept  the  country,  Saul  appears  to  have  suf- 
fered a  defeat  at  Michmash.  Eead  13.  15-18  and  note 
that  SauFs  army  is  diminished  and  that  Philistine  war- 
parties  harry  the  land.  Eead  14.  1-46.  Jonathan's  rest- 
less spirit  and  heroic  faith  turn  the  tide  for  Israel.  Saul 
wins  a  great  victory  and  his  kingship  is  assured.  But  there 
was  no  rest  for  Saul  against  these  powerful  enemies.  His 
armies  always  had  to  be  on  the  alert  to  guard  with  con- 
stant vigilance  the  newly  asserted  independence.  Examine 
14.  52;  17.  1-11;  and  18.  17,  and  observe  that  the  main 
efforts  of  Saul  during  his  reign  were  directed  toward  beat- 
ing back  the  Philistines  from  the  highlands  of  Palestine. 

Saul's  Failure  to  Establish  a  Dynasty. — There  were  a 
number  of  factors  which  made  for  the  passing  of  the  king- 
ship from  Saul.  The  people  were  not  yet  ready  to  submit 
to  a  central  authority,  14.  45.  The  monarchy  did  not  prove 
a  panacea  for  the  troubles  of  every  individual,  22.  2.  With 
its  court  and  soldiery  it  added  additional  burdens.  The 
military  success,  the  daring,  the  genialit}^  of  David,  created 
a  faction,  22.  7,  8.  That  Saul  was  able  to  lead  an  army 
against  David  indicates  more  than  a  private  grudge; 
David's  leadership  was  feared  by  the  satellites  of  Saul. 
The  moody  character  of  Saul  led  him  to  outrage  the  better 
instincts  of  the  nation,  22.  14-18.  This  impetuous,  sus- 
picious, revengeful  character  of  Saul  was  his  undoing. 
Eead  16.  14-16  and  18.  12  for  an  estimate  of  his  charac- 
ter by  his  contemporaries.  The  paroxysmal  mania,  aug- 
mented by  the  growing  popularity  of  David,  made  Saul 
less  certain  of  Jehovah's  leadership.  When  he  no  more 
experienced  the  rush  of  Jehovah's  spirit  and  no  more  could 
obtain  responses  to  his  prayers,  "neither  by  dreams,  nor 
by  IJrim,  nor  by  prophets,"  28.  6,  Saul  had  lost  that  superb 


122  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

quality  of  religious  enthusiasm  which  had  given  him  the 
kingdom.  Eead  29.  1,  2  and  31.  1-13  for  the  account  of  his 
last  battle  with  his  lifelong  enemies. 

The  Character  of  Saul. — It  is  important  to  know  the 
most  which  is  possible  about  IsraePs  first  king.  It  was  he 
who  began  the  welding  of  the  Hebrew  clans  into  a  nation, 
and  by  making  possible  a  victorious  national  life,  furnished 
the  historical  data  for  a  richer  development  of  Israel's  reli- 
gion. To  strengthen  the  nation  was  to  deepen  Israel's 
consciousness  of  Jehovah.  It  must  be  kept  in  mind  that 
one  of  the  sources  of  the  religious  convictions  of  the  great 
Hebrew  prophets  was  their  interpretation  of  their  peo- 
ple's history,  an  interpretation  which  ever  saw  in  Israel's 
path  the  fullest  divine  guidance.  That  Saul  rallied  the 
clans  and  molded  them  with  all  their  apathy  and  narrow- 
ness into  a  common  life  to  brave  victoriously  their  enemies ; 
that  he  inspired  them  with  courage  and  instilled  them  with 
hope,  witnesses  to  his  genius  and  his  incomparable  service 
in  behalf  of  the  religion  of  Israel. 

To  understand  this  Saul  we  must  understand  that  he 
was  deeply  religious.  He  was  a  patriot,  but  he  was  more; 
he  was  profoundly  concerned  that  Jehovah  should  tri- 
umph in  the  prosperity  of  his  people.  The  monarchy  was 
the  political  expression  of  a  religious  revival.  Karl  Budde 
finely  sets  this  situation  in  clear  light. 

"The  prophets  .  .  .  must  have  pursued  a  religio- 
national  aim.  We  can  conceive  no  other  than  the  shaking 
off  of  the  Philistine  yoke  by  means  of  the  purer  and  more 
zealous  worship  of  Jehovah.  And  that  which  the  circum- 
stances of  the  time  suggest  is  confirmed  in  the  fullest 
degree  by  the  deeds  of  the  single  prominent  personality 
within  their  circle,  the  neophyte,  Saul.  For  when  the  pro- 
phetic spirit  seizes  him  the  second  time  his  wrath  com- 
pels his  reluctant  countrymen  to  hasten  to  Jabesh-Gilead 
to  the  help  of  their  brethren,  and  he  overcomes  the  insolent 
Ammonites.  From  this  the  raising  of  Saul  to  the  king- 
ship and  the  war  with  the  Philistines  follow  as  a  matter 
of  course;  no  one  expects  anjrthing  else  of  him.  During 
the  critical  struggle  we  find  in  him  the  scrupulously  devout 


THE  KINGSHIP  OF  SAUL  123 

servant  of  Jehovah,  anxiously  watching  that  nothing  be 
neglected  which  may  make  sure  of  his  favor."^ 

Saul  was  a  man  of  moods.  So  was  Paul,  and  so  also 
was  Luther.  All  earnest  souls  who  are  called  to  originate 
a  new  age  are  apt  to  be.  The  magnitude  of  the  task  ren- 
ders the  shift  easy  from  exultation  to  depression.  Saul's 
moodiness  sank  at  times  to  light  mania.  He  was  step- 
ping gingerly  the  way  to  madness.  He  was  at  times  im- 
petuous, angry,  violent.  Jealous,  suspicious,  superstitious, 
yet  he  could  be  moved  by  an  appeal  to  his  generosity.  He 
lived  in  the  hearts  of  the  men  of  Jabesh-Gilead.  They 
saved  his  body  from  extreme  ignominy,  1  Samuel,  31. 
12,  13,  and  buried  the  ashes  of  their  hero  and  his  sons 
beneath  their  sacred  tamarisk.  David's  generous  appraisal, 
2  Samuel  1.  19-27,  was  thought  worthy  of  a  place  in  the 
nation's  poetic  anthology. 

The  Eeligious  Life  of  Israel  During  the  Early 
Monarchy 

The  Revival  of  Jehovah  Worship. — We  have  seen  that, 
after  Israel's  entrance  into  Canaan,  the  Hebrews  not  only 
continued  to  worship  Jehovah,  but  they  also  began  to  take 
up  some  of  the  native  religious  practices.  Their  three 
great  agricultural  festivals'  are  instances  of  this  adoption 
of  Canaanitish  religious  ideas  and  rites.  In  time  these 
borrowings  from  Canaan  were  incorporated  into  the  origi- 
nal worship  of  Jehovah.  But  in  periods  of  stress  and 
affliction  the  worship  of  Jehovah  would  lag,  and  there 
would  arise  new  inducements  to  yield  to  the  worship  of 
their  powerful  neighbors.  The  capture  of  the  Ark  by  the 
Philistines  and  their  subsequent  occupancy  of  Palestine 
must  have  weakened  the  bonds  between  the  Hebrews  and 
their  God. 

We  have  seen  that  the  demand  for  the  monarchy  sprang 
from  the  prophetic  circles.  It  was  a  revival  of  the  wor- 
ship of  Jehovah  which  Saul  inaugurated.    The  only  hope 


» The  Religion  of  Israel  to  the  Exile,  p.  98.  «See  Chapter  XII. 


124  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

of  throwing  off  the  Philistine  yoke  was  a  renewed  al- 
legiance to  Jehovah.  It  is  more  than  likely  that  this  reli- 
gious revival  involved  the  repudiation  of  the  more  recently 
adopted  Canaanitish  as  well  as  Philistine  practices.  A 
new  conviction  dawns  that  Jehovah  rules,  and  the  heroic 
uprising  of  Israel  is  due  to  the  inrushing  of  his  Spirit,  1 
Samuel  11.  6,  7;  14.  6.  Not  only  do  Saul  and  Jonathan 
look  to  Jehovah  for  guidance,  but  also  the  act  and  word 
of  the  Philistines  are  prompted  by  Jehovah,  14.  10-12. 
Saul  maintains  the  priest  Ahijah,  whose  business  is  to 
ascertain  Jehovah^s  will,  14.  3.  IsraeFs  victory  is  Je- 
hovah's victory,  14.  23.  Saul  is  alive  to  the  strictest  re- 
quirements of  religion,  14.  34,  is  an  ardent  worshiper,  14. 
35,  counsels  Jehovah  in  the  great  crises,  14.  37,  and  is 
willing  to  die  that  Jehovah  may  not  be  wronged,  14.  39- 
42.  Jonathan  is  equally  heroic  and  devoted,  14.  43.^  Saul 
recognizes  that  even  his  mania  is  sent  from  Jehovah,  16. 
14-16;  18.  12. 

Such  instances  of  the  religious  life  of  Israel's  leaders 
at  the  establishment  of  the  monarchy  indicate  how  largely 
victorious  battle  in  this  early  period  contributed  to  the 
development  of  Israel's  religious  life.  Marti's  language 
accurately  describes  this  influence: 

"The  people's  common  goal,  the  acquisition  of  a  settled 
habitation,  was  accounted  to  be  Jehovah's  will,  and  the 
wars,  the  most  effective  means  of  attaining  to  this  end, 
were  Jehovah's  wars.  These  wars  formed  the  climax  of 
the  religious  life,  even  before  the  sacrificial  feasts  attained 
to  this  position,  and  they  continued  to  be  thus  considered 
1.  by  the  side  of  the  latter  throughout  this  period."'  Thus 
■  the  whole  life  of  Israel  was  religious.  What  we  call  politi- 
cal life  was  in  this  period  an  expression  of  religion.  The 
state,  with  its  monarch,  performed  Jehovah's  will.  King 
as  well  as  seer  indicated  to  the  multitude  the  requirements 
of  their  national  God.  It  is  only  by  seeing  that  the  new 
political  life  was  a  new  religious  revival  that  we  can  un- 
derstand the  development  of  Israel's  religion. 

iThe  correct  reading  here  is  "Lo,  I  am  ready  to  die.? 
a  Religion  of  the  Old  Testament,  p.  107. 


THE  KINGSHIP  OF  SAUL  125 

The  Divine  Guidance. — If  men  believe  that  God  directs 
human  affairs,  where  shall  they  look  for  his  guidance? 
In  what  manner  may  his  voice  be  heard?  This  always  is 
a  most  pressing  question  in  religion.  In  this  period  men 
found  the  divine  guidance  in  the  prophets,  in  dreams, 
and  by  the  use  of  the  ephod,  1  Samuel  28.  6.  Examine 
14.  3,  18.  The  correct  reading  of  verse  14.  18  is  "Bring 
hither  the  ephod ;  for  he  bare  the  ephod  at  that  time  before 
Israel.'^  The  Ark  at  this  time  was  at  Kiriath-Jearim. 
Eead  also  14.  36-42  for  the  use  of  the  ephod  to  ascertain 
the  will  of  Jehovah.  Compare  with  this  passage  the  fol- 
lowing, taken  from  the  Septuagint,  which  is  undoubtedly 
correct:  "And  Saul  said,  0  Jehovah,  God  of  Israel,  why 
dost  thou  not  answer  thy  servant  this  day  ?  If  the  iniquity 
be  in  me  or  in  my  son  Jonathan,  God  of  Israel,  give  Urim ; 
but  if  thou  sayest  thus,  the  iniquity  is  in  my  people  Israel, 
give  Thummim.'^  Observe  that  Jehovah's  will  was  learned 
by  casting  lots,  the  precise  manner  of  which  is  now  un- 
certain. There  is  no  hint  yet  that  the  priest  is  set  apart 
to  offer  sacrifice.  His  task  was  to  guard  the  sanctuary  and 
to  manipulate  the  sacred  lot.  See  in  this  connection  21. 
3-7.  The  priests  display  the  shew-bread,  and  to  this  ex- 
tent they  conduct  the  sacrifices. 

Dreams  in  primitive  times  were  unquestioned  modes  of 
communication  between  the  Deity  and  men.  Eead  Genesis 
28.  10-17.  This  account  of  Jacob's  dream  fairly  expresses 
the  religious  valuation  of  dreams  at  the  period  now  under 
discussion.  The  dream  in  which  Jehovah  appeared  to  be 
speaking  to  Jacob  became  for  him  when  he  awoke  the  un- 
questioned revelation  of  Jehovah's  will.  The  place  of  the 
dream  takes  on  the  sanctity  of  a  shrine.  Solomon,  1 
Kings  3.  4,  5,  appears  to  have  slept  at  a  sanctuary  in 
order  to  receive  divine  guidance  through  a  dream.  This 
too  is  a  primitive  custom.  Any  dream  experienced  at  a 
sanctuary  was  thought  to  be  the  direct  revelation  of  the 
Deity's  will. 

The  Worship  of  Jehovah. — Turn  again  to  Chapter  XII 
and  reread  what  already  has  been  said  concerning  worship 
in  the  period  of  the  judges.    There  has  been  no  change  in 


126  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

the  mode  of  worship  during  the  early  years  of  the  mon- 
archy. Sacrifice  is  a  mode  of  worship,  that  is,  a  recognition 
of  Jehovah's  rights,  and  is  performed  by  laity.  Saul  is 
an  altar  builder,  1  Samuel  14.  35.  What  constituted  his 
first  altar  ?  14.  33.  Notice  that  the  people  in  their  hunger 
have  omitted  their  religious  duty,  14.  32,  33.  In  primitive 
religion  all  killing  is  sacrifice,  the  victim  must  be  slain  be- 
fore the  altar,  and  the  blood,  at  least,  poured  upon  the 
altar  in  offering  to  the  god.  Saul  is  not  too  famished  to 
recall  the  people  to  their  neglected  worship.  Another 
primitive  religious  idea  is  found  in  Sau?s  taboo 
upon  food  during  the  day  of  battle,  14.  24-30.  By  the 
fasting  it  was  believed  that  Jehovah  would  be  incited  to 
further  efforts  in  behalf  of  Israel.  The  breaking  of  this 
taboo  by  Jonathan  silenced  the  oracle  of  Jehovah,  14.  37; 
and  it  was  not  until  an  effort  was  made  to  discover  the 
guilty  one  that  the  responding  oracle  again  tokened  Je- 
hovah's favor.  Read  20.  18,  24-29  for  one  of  the  special 
religious  observances  of  the  period.  The  feast  of  the  New 
Moon,  to  which  reference  was  made  in  Chapter  X,  was 
one  of  the  holy  festivals  of  Israel.  Here  the  sacrificial 
meal  was  spread  for  four  men,  Saul,  Jonathan,  David,  and 
Abner.  A  similar  sacrificial  meal  was  noted  in  Chapter 
XIV.  Further  attention  will  be  called  to  the  Feast  of  the 
New  Moon. 

SuMMAEY :  The  Progress  of  the  Kingdom 

The  kingdom  of  God  arrives  slowly.  Sometimes  an 
advance  is  made  by  measures  which  might  seem  void  of 
religious  value.  This  is  the  case  of  the  monarchy  and 
Saul.  Later  historians  denounced  the  monarchy  and  de- 
famed its  first  king.  Saul  had  many  faults,  but  he  was 
truly  the  champion  of  Jehovah.  The  triumph  of  Jehovah, 
in  the  thought  of  the  Hebrews,  could  not  be  disassociated 
from  the  triumph  of  the  people  themselves  over  their  ene- 
mies. Therefore  the  contribution  of  Saul  to  Israel's  reli- 
gion is  not  slight.  By  his  great  confidence,  by  his  religious 
devotion  and  patriotic  leadership  he  gave  Jehovah  a  new 
place  in  Hebrew  life.     It  was  the  victory-giving  Jehovah 


THE  KINGSHIP  OF  SAUL  127 

who  in  time  came  to  be  recognized  as  the  triumphant  and 
righteous  ruler  of  the  world.  Saul  ushered  in  a  new  epoch 
in  his  people^s  life. 

Fob  the  Idealist 

The  Religion  of  Unbroken  Purpose. — Saul  did  not  stop 
fighting  Jehovah's  battles  when  he  ceased  to  be  conscious 
of  Jehovah's  favor.  The  call  to  break  the  Philistine  op- 
pression and  to  build  Jehovah's  kingdom  never  was  silenced 
in  his  soul.  When  Saul  ceased  taking  care  of  his  father's 
asses  and  fields  he  gave  himself  unreservedly  to  the  cause 
of  nationalizing  the  loose  clan-life  of  his  people.  For 
good  or  ill  he  clung  to  the  supreme  purpose  of  his  life. 
He  began  and  ended  his  kingship  in  battle.  He  fought 
the  Philistines  throughout  all  its  years.  For  this  he  had 
been  called  from  his  farm,  and  for  this  he  labored  until 
he  died.  This  mission  stands  clear  amid  the  mists  of  his 
mania  and  failure.  This  is  religion  of  a  high  order.  It 
is  the  unabandoned  purpose  which  redeems  a  man  from 
many  a  littleness  of  soul.  To  "carry  on/'  regardless  of 
peril,  of  human  estimate  of  one's  accomplishments,  and 
at  last,  perhaps,  of  defeat,  is  not,  whatever  else  it  may 
be,  a  complete  wandering  from  God.  In  those  days  when 
God  seems  gone  from  your  soul,  there  is  still  an  open 
road:  the  road  of  duty  chosen  in  the  bright  days  of  en- 
thusiasm and  faith.  Keep  the  road  and  it  will  end  at  the 
gate  of  heaven. 

The  Sinfulness  of  Worry. — Many  a  fine  life  has  been 
marred  by  "nerves."  Saul  was  a  man  of  moods  and  David 
got  on  his  nerves.  Distrust,  jealousy,  and  hate  followed 
fast  and  gave  birth  to  morbidness  and  mania.  The  emo- 
tional life  ever  needs  discipline.  It  is  not  necessary  to  be 
a  creature  of  moods.  Character  is  not  formed  by  submis- 
sion to  every  passing  breeze  of  passion.  To  discipline  the 
feelings  is  not  to  suppress  the  emotional  life.  It  is  to  culti- 
vate the  cheerful,  sympathetic,  hopeful,  burden-lifted  emo- 
tions. Watch  out  for  worry.  It  will  break  down  your 
health  and  embitter  your  soul.    Of  course  you  have  burdens 


128  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISKAEL 

to  bear.  Loss  of  health,  of  business,  rupture  of  cherished 
plans,  the  parting  in  death  of  loved  ones — such  events  come 
into  the  life  of  all.  No  one  need  succumb  under  these 
burdens.  Never  worry  about  what  you  can^t  help;  if 
you  can  help  it,  help  it.  If  not,  ask  God  for  something 
else  to  do. 

Life  in  a  Large  World. — Saul  did  not  understand  the 
bigness  of  the  world.  There  was  not  room  in  it,  he  thought, 
for  himself  and  David.  He  lived  in  a  little  world.  The 
bigger  world  was  there  coaxing  him  to  enter  it,  but  he  was 
blind.  It  is  the  little  world  in  which  we  are  satisfied  to 
live  which  makes  us  mean  and  spoils  our  lives.  This  world 
is  large  enough  for  you  and  your  competitor.  It  will  be 
a  gloriously  roomy  world  when  you  exchange  competing 
with  your  neighbor  for  competing  with  yourself.  Set 
yourself  to  outdo  your  past  record,  whatever  your  work, 
and  the  song-birds  of  peace  wiU  start  the  dawn  of  another 
life  in  your  soul.  If  you  wish  your  life  to  be  wholesome, 
free  from  pettiness  and  worry,  seek  great  causes  to  espouse 
and  serve  sacrificially  the  common  good.  If  your  tasks  are 
dull  and  your  circle  of  opportunity  small,  study  the  thing 
you  do  and  your  human  relationships,  and  you  will  dis- 
cover that  the  humblest  situations  involve  far-reaching 
meanings.  Make  your  small  world  bigger  by  studying  it, 
by  loving  it,  and  serving  it.  A  great  master  of  life  once 
said  that  such  humble  servitors  are,  indeed,  life's  kings. 

Topics  foe  Class  Discussion 

1.  What  bearing  upon  the  development  of  Hebrew  religion 
had  the  union  of  the  Hebrew  clans  to  fight  the  Philistines 
and  the  latter's  ultimate  defeat? 

2.  Why  did  not  the  scepter  remain  in  the  family  of  Saul? 

3.  Discuss  the  character  of  Saul.  What  was  his  life  task? 
What  made  it  difficult?  What  were  Saul's  faults?  What  was 
praiseworthy  in  him? 

4.  What  way  of  ascertaining  Jehovah's  will  did  Saul  and 
his  contemporaries  consider  to  be  the  most  trustworthy?  Did 
God  actually  use  these  crude  ways  to  guide  early  Israel?  What 
is  the  most  trustworthy  method  for  us  to  know  God's  will? 

5.  Why  did  sacrifice  seem  to  early  Israel  a  worthy  manner 


THE  KINGSHIP  OF  SAUL  129 

to  worship  Jehovah?     What  true  elements  of  worship  were 
lacking  in  the  sacrificial  system  of  the  Hebrews? 

Suggested  Readings 

Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  217-238. 
Smith,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  114-128. 
Peritz,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  126-133. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
KING  DAVID 

David  is  unquestionably  the  hero  of  the  Jews  through 
many  of  their  centuries.  No  priest,  prophet,  or  other  king 
stands  at  his  side  in  the  love,  the  memory,  and  the  hopes 
of  Israel.  No  study  of  Israel's  history  and  religion  is 
complete  without  a  knowledge  of  his  services  and  his 
character.  This  chapter  presents  an  account  of  David's 
rise  to  power,  the  strength  and  weakness  of  his  character, 
and  his  work  of  holding  together  the  jealous  tribes  in  the 
greatest  kingdom  which  Israel  ever  knew. 

David's  Political  Leadership 

David  Wins  the  Kingship. — At  the  time  of  Saul's  death 
David,  it  will  be  recalled,  was  dwelling  at  Ziklag,  a  city 
of  the  Philistines.  David's  skill  in  battle,  the  band  of 
warriors  which  he  had  gathered  about  himself,  and  his 
outlawry  at  the  hands  of  Saul,  all  led  David  himself  and 
many  of  his  countrymen  to  look  upon  him  as  the  successor 
of  Saul.  Examine  1  Samuel  30.  26-31,  and  note  David's 
astute  as  well  as  kindly  interest  in  the  cities  of  Judah. 
Eead  2  Samuel  2.  1-4.  David's  religious  nature  and  his 
political  wisdom  both  appear  here.  David  was  no  reli- 
gious hypocrite.  Whatever  may  have  been  his  faults,  his 
life  was  truly  religious.  He  recognized  that  the  monarchy 
had  sprung  from  a  revival  of  trust  and  hope  in  Jehovah. 
He  intended  that  Israel's  sovereign  now,  as  before  in  the 
case  of  Saul,  should  be  "the  Lord's  anointed."  Therefore, 
David,  before  setting  out  from  Ziklag,  sought  Jehovah's 
guidance  and  blessing  for  his  enterprise.  The  assumption 
■of  the  kingship  was  a  solemn  act.  The  chief  men  of  the 
cities  of  southern  Palestine  assembled  at  Hebron.  There 
before  the  altar  of  Jehovah  David  was  solemnly  set  apart 
^s  king.     The  anointing  of  kings  by  the  pouring  of  oil 

130 


KING  DAVID  131 

upon  their  heads,  even  among  the  Canaanites,  from  whom 
the  custom  was  borrowed,  indicated  their  sacredness  of 
office  and  character.  Among  the  Hebrews  at  this  time  it 
also  signified  a  bestowal  of  the  spirit  of  Jehovah.  David 
henceforth  was  held  to  be  Jehovah's  chief  representative 
and  agent  by  those  who  acknowledged  his  kingship. 

The  first  act  of  the  new  king  indicated  his  purpose  to 
reign  over  a  united  Israel.  David  announced  his  corona- 
tion to  the  citizens  of  Jabesh-Gilead,  2  Samuel  2.  5-7, 
and  assumed  that,  as  true  servants  of  Jehovah,  they  would 
transfer  allegiance  from  Saul  to  himself  immediately. 
However,  there  appeared  a  faction  which  rallied  around 
a  son  of  Saul.  Civil  war  was  precipitated  by  Abner  in  the 
name  of  Ishbosheth,  SauPs  son.  But  these  east  Jordan 
adherents  of  the  house  of  Saul  were  defeated  by  the 
troops  of  David.  After  this  defeat,  Abner,  who  was  the 
real  power  of  the  faction,  and  who  broke  with  Ishbosheth, 
3.  7-11,  made  overtures  to  David  for  reconciliation.  David, 
whose  wife,  Michal,  had  been  torn  away  from  him  by  her 
father,  demanded  her  return  to  strengthen  himself  as 
Saul's  successor.  Eead  3.  17-22  for  Abner's  further  serv- 
ice in  winning  Israel  to  the  standard  of  David.  Observe 
that  Abner  refers  to  the  desire  of  many  in  Israel,  even  in 
Saul's  lifetime,  to  make  David  king.  Here  too  the  king- 
ship is  regarded  essential  to  Israel's  national  life  and  is 
held  to  be  divinely  appointed  for  the  nation's  good. 

The  treacherous  murder  of  Abner,  3.  27-30,  apparently 
did  not  delay  the  movement  to  unite  all  Israel  under  David. 
Ishbosheth  was  murdered,  and  David,  guiltless  of  both 
crimes,  grew  stronger  with  all  his  people.  There  was  no 
one  now  to  dispute  his  kingship.  Israel  remembered  his 
valor  in  the  days  of  Saul.  He  was  continually  becoming 
better  established  in  the  confidence  of  his  countrymen 
during  his  seven  and  a  half  years  of  kingship  over  Judah. 
The  elders  of  Israel  were  glad  at  last  to  recognize  him  as 
their  king.  Eead  5.  1-3  and  notice  the  fine  conception  of 
the  kingship  here  presented,  and  the  solemn  covenant  taken 
by  David  to  be  shepherd  of  Israel.  The  anointment  was 
again  the  solemn  recognition  of  David's  intimate  associa- 


132  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

tion  with  Jehovah.  In  a  unique  manner  Jehovah's  spirit 
was  thought  to  dwell  in  him,  and  his  acts  were  expressions 
of  Jehovah's  will.  The  kingship,  however,  is  a  covenant. 
The  people  promise  allegiance  and  the  king  pledges  leader- 
ship of  the  armies  and  just  administration  of  the  customs 
and  precepts  of  Israel. 

David's  Political  Services.  The  New  Capital. — The  most 
notable  event  of  David's  reign  was  the  establishment  of 
the  capital  at  Jerusalem.  Read  2  Samuel  5.  6-10.  For  two 
centuries  this  Jebusite  stronghold  remained  unsubdued  in 
the  midst  of  the  Hebrew  population.  It  is  quite  possible 
that  the  Jebusites  and  Israelites  had  long  ceased  to  live 
at  enmity,  but  the  Canaanites,  nevertheless,  clung  to  their 
citadel.  It  was  so  strongly  fortified  by  its  location  and 
walls  that  its  defenders  boasted  that  it  could  be  held  by 
the  blind  and  lame  against  any  attack.  The  capture  of 
this  military  post  greatly  enhanced  David's  reputation,  and 
the  removal  of  the  capital  from  Hebron  evidenced  his  wis- 
dom. Its  geographical  situation  on  the  border  between 
Judah  and  the  tribes  which  had  been  most  loyal  to  Saul, 
together  with  its  impregnable  position,  made  it  the  natural 
capital  of  united  Israel.  It  was  an  act  of  such  moment 
that  it  attracted  the  attention  and  won  the  respect  of  the 
King  of  Tyre. 

David's  Wars  with  the  Philistines. — The  monarchy 
found  its  chief  justification  in  the  minds  of  the  subjects 
of  Saul  and  David  in  that  it  was  the  means  of  breaking 
the  oppression  of  the  Philistines.  During  David's  resi- 
dence at  Hebron  it  does  not  appear  that  Philistia  and  Israel 
clashed  in  battle.  It  is  probable  that  the  Philistine  gar- 
risons, after  the  death  of  Saul,  again  were  established  in 
the  highlands  of  Palestine.  In  the  period  of  David's  out- 
lawry from  the  court  of  Saul  there  seems  to  have  been  a 
garrison  at  Bethlehem,  2  Samuel  23.  14.  David,  as  long 
as  he  had  only  the  men  of  Judah  to  support  him,  apparently 
lived  on  friendly  terms  with  the  Philistines.  But  his 
coronation  by  united  Israel  awoke  the  Philistines  to  their 
danger.  Read  5.  17-25.  It  is  probable  that  this  attack 
followed  closely  after  David's  coronation  by  united  Israel 


KING  DAVID  133 

at  Hebron  and  before  his  capture  of  Jerusalem.  Note,  in 
5.  21,  the  indication  of  the  crushing  victory  over  the  Philis- 
tines. It  took,  however,  a  second  rout  to  convince  the 
Philistines  of  David^s  mastery,  5.  22-25. 

The  Recovery  of  the  Ark. — Eead  carefully  2  Samuel  6. 
1-23.  The  Ark,  it  will  be  remembered,  possessed  for  Israel, 
in  the  earliest  period,  unique  significance.  In  the  wars 
of  the  conquest  of  Canaan  the  Ark  in  some  sense  is  identi- 
fied with  the  presence  of  Jehovah.  In  Numbers  10.  35, 
36  the  Ark  appears  to  be  addressed  directly  as  Jehovah. 
The  same  significance  is  observable  in  the  account  of  the 
presence  of  the  Ark  in  the  Hebrew  army  in  the  time  of 
Samuel,  1  Samuel  4.  5-8.  Without  doubt  the  capture  of 
the  Ark  by  the  Philistines,  and  the  subsequent  Israelitish 
victories  over  their  oppressors,  without  the  aid  of  the  Ark, 
tended  greatly  to  weaken  the  earlier  conception.  But  the 
Ark  was  still  the  most  sacred  object  for  Israel.  Therefore 
at  the  earliest  opportunity  David  brought  it  to  Jerusalem. 
The  Philistines,  although  they  had  sent  the  Ark  out  of 
their  own  territory,  kept  it  under  their  control  at  Kiriath- 
Jearim.  David^s  victories  over  them  made  possible  its 
recapture.  Instead  of  being  returned  to  Shiloh  the  Ark 
was  deposited  at  Jerusalem.  By  this  destination  David 
made  Jerusalem  the  religious  as  well  as  the  political  capi- 
tal of  his  realm.  This  was  an  event  of  much  significance 
in  the  religious  history  of  Israel.  Henceforth  it  became 
the  policy  of  the  kings  at  Jerusalem  to  magnify  the  im- 
portance of  this  shrine.  This  policy  culminated  in  the 
Deuteronomy  legislation  which  condemned  all  sacrifice  out- 
side Jerusalem. 

At  the  Court  of  David. — Second  Samuel,  chapters  9  to 
20,  inclusive,  deal  principally  with  events  at  the  court  of 
David  at  Jerusalem.  It  is  universally  conceded  that  this 
section  possesses  the  highest  historical  value.  There  pass 
in  rapid  review  incidents  which  reveal  the  character  of 
David,  the  responsibilities  of  the  kingship,  and  the  political 
intrigues  which  are  so  often  involved  in  power  and  the 
ambition  for  power. 

David  no  sooner  freed  himself  from  the  Philistines  than 


134  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

he  set  about  harmonizing  the  elements  of  his  kingdom. 
Eead  chapter  9  for  his  kindness  to  the  son  of  Jonathan  and 
consider  its  effect  in  binding  to  himself  the  remaining 
adherents  of  Saul.  His  attempt  to  extend  his  influence 
across  the  Jordan  was  not  settled  so  amicably.  Eead  chap- 
ters 10  to  12.  Note  that  David,  at  the  end  of  the  second 
campaign  against  the  Ammonites,  takes  the  field  in  per- 
son. This  is  the  last  instance  recorded  of  David's  presence 
in  battle.  Yet  David  ever  seemed  to  Israel  a  great  cap- 
tain. Eead  Hushai's  fine  tribute  to  David's  prowess  in 
17.  8-10.  It  was  these  well-known  traits  which  had  con- 
tributed to  the  glory  of  his  kingship.  In  addition  to  his 
own  strength  in  battle,  he  had  gathered  round  him  men 
of  valor  worthy  of  his  leadership.  The  brothers  Joab  and 
Abishai,  Ittai,  Abner,  Amasa,  and  Benaiah  were  a  worthy 
group  of  captains  in  that  rough  age.  The  final  service  of 
David  was  to  secure  the  kingship  upon  Solomon  and  so 
provide  for  the  succession  without  civil  war.  This  he  was 
able  to  do  though  bedridden  and  near  death,  1  Kings  1. 
32-40. 

The  Chakacter  of  David 

David's  Faults. — David's  services  in  behalf  of  Israelis 
religion  will  be  discussed  in  Chapter  XVII.  Usually  it  is 
easier  to  see  a  man's  faults  than  his  virtues.  David  was 
not  faultless.  Eead  2  Samuel  11.  2-27  for  David's  sin  with 
Bathsheba  and  his  crime  against  Uriah.  This  guilt  and 
the  secret  of  Uriah's  murder,  possessed  by  Joab,  were  the 
beginning  of  the  train  of  evils  which  so  sadly  mar  the 
character  of  David  and  afilicted  his  kingdom.  See  18. 
12-14  and  20.  9,  10  for  instances  of  Joab's  disloyalty  to 
David.  David  was  not  able  to  restrain  his  blood-thirsty 
captain;  after  his  crime  against  Uriah,  he  had  no  moral 
advantage  over  Joab.  He  could  only  order  his  assassina- 
tion at  the  hands  of  Solomon. 

David  was  not  a  wise  father.  Perhaps  his  own  lust 
induced  him  to  be  merely  angry  with  Amnon,  13.  21.  His 
failure  to  correct  this  profligate  son  led  on  to  Absalom's 


KING  DAVID  135 

rebellion  in  all  its  heartache  to  David  and  civil  war  for 
Israel.  Call  the  roll  of  David's  children  and  you  have  the. 
tragic  record  of  an  unhappy  family :  Amnon,  the  outrager 
of  Taniar  and  the  victim  of  fratricide ;  Tamar,  the  outraged 
and  outcast;  Absalom,  the  murderer,  hypocrite,  conspirator, 
and  murdered;  the  infant  son  of  Bathsheba,  witness  and 
victim  of  David's  lust;  Adonijah,  the  pretender,  filial  in- 
grate,  and  the  murdered  victim  of  Solomon's  policy  of 
state ;  and  Solomon,  the  splendid,  luxurious  king,  yet  whose 
rule  was  such  as  to  divide  the  monarchy  forever.  David's 
"House"  was  not  a  splendid  and  glorious  heritage  to 
Israel. 

David's  Strength. — Yet  there  are  wholesome  traits  in 
David.  He  was  able  by  his  personal  magnetism  to  win  the 
utmost  loyalty  from  those  who  came  into  closest  touch 
with  him.  It  was  the  fault  of  the  age  that  his  sons  were 
not  his  companions.  See  Ittai's  fine  devotion,  15.  21-23,. 
the  loyalty  of  the  priests  Zadok  and  Abiathar,  15.  24,  the 
daring  of  Hushai  in  the  cause  of  his  friend  the  king,  15. 
32-37,  the  friendship  of  Barzillai,  David's  host  at  Maha- 
naim,  19.  31-39 ;  but  above  all  consider  the  power  of  David 
to  make  his  personal  sorrow  the  grief  of  his  faithful  war- 
riors, and  to  silence  by  his  tears  their  rejoicing  at  a  critical 
triumph  of  his  and  the  kingdom's  fortunes,  19.  1-6.  There 
were  in  David  certain  elements  of  chivalry.  At  an  hour 
of  triumph  he  spares  Shimei,  who  had  cursed  him,  and 
Jonathan's  son,  who  had  countenanced  Absalom's  rebellion 
by  remaining  in  Jerusalem. 

There  is  a  hint  in  19.  35  that  David  did  not  lose  his  in- 
terest in  song  and  harp  through  the  years.  It  is  a  poem, 
too,  which  bears  witness  forever  to  the  noblest  quality  of 
David's  dealings  with  his  fellow  men.  Read  1.  19-27  for 
the  unforgettable  lament  for  Saul  and  Jonathan.  "The 
poem  stands  out  as  the  genuine  outpouring  of  a  noble  heart 
too  great  to  harbor  one  selfish  thought  in  this  dark  hour 
of  his  country's  humiliation."^ 


» Kennedy,  in  The  New  Century  Bible. 


136  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

The  Place  of  David  in  Jewish  Histoey 

The  idealization  of  David  by  later  generations  makes 
imperative  the  most  accurate  account  of  David's  actual 
services  in  the  development  of  Israel's  religion.  David's 
name  is  attached  to  seventy-five  of  the  psalms.  Jerusalem 
is  the  City  of  David  for  the  preexilic  prophets,  Isaiah 
22.  9;  the  throne  of  Judah  is  David's  throne,  Jeremiah 
13.  13;  Jehovah  saves  Jerusalem  from  the  Assyrians  for 
David's  sake,  Isaiah  37.  35.  David  is  preeminently  the 
*^Man  of  God"  in  postexilic  times,  Nehemiah  12.  24.  But, 
more  than  all,  when  the  exilic  and  postexilic  prophets 
began  to  predict  the  coming  of  an  ideal  social  order  in 
Israel,  David's  reign  in  the  far  past  was  thought  to  be 
so  brilliant  that  it  seemed  sufficient,  in  order  to  charac- 
terize the  glory  of  the  coming  age,  to  assert  that  future 
sovereigns  would  rule  in  the  spirit  of  this  great  king. 
Examine  Jeremiah  30.  9,  Ezekiel  34.  23,  and  37.  24, 
Psalms  132.  17.  These  are  characteristic  expectations  of 
the  Messianic  age. 

What  gave  David  this  unique  place  in  the  thought  of 
subsequent  generations?  It  was  not  the  perfection  of  his 
character.  His  faults  were  recorded  in  the  early  histories, 
and  if  the  late  historians,  like  the  author  of  Chronicles, 
choose  to  ignore  the  king's  moral  weakness,  the  reason  is 
found  in  their  effort  to  make  clear  the  great  political  and 
religious  services  which  he  rendered  to  Israel.  It  was 
the  extent  and  strength  of  David's  sovereignty  which  ap- 
pealed to  later  centuries.  David  was  Israel's  first  real 
king.  Saul  was  a  Benjamite  and  never  had  the  full  al- 
legiance of  the  clansmen  of  David  in  southern  Palestine. 
David,  through  his  power  to  command  the  loyalty  of  men 
like  Joab  and  Hushai,  through  his  own  military  leadership, 
and  through  his  deeply  religious  nature,  brought  the  jeal- 
ous tribes  as  nearly  into  a  nation  as  could  be  done.  Then, 
too,  he  broke  the  power  of  the  Philistines  who  had  menaced 
Israel  for  at  least  three  generations,  and  reduced  the  last 
Canaanitish  strongholds.  It  was  this  service  to  united 
Israel,  and  the  additional  fact  that  David  belonged  to 


KING  DAVID  137 

Judah,  from  which  territory  all  the  late  Jewish  literature 
comes,  which  gave  David  his  idealized  place  in  his  people's 
history. 

Tkuths  for  Honest  Thinkers 

The  Judgment  Day. — It  is  the  duty  of  every  man  to 
judge  his  fellow  men:  it  is  the  privilege  of  every  man  to 
be  judged  by  his  fellow  men.  It  is  this  continual  estimate 
of  character  which  alone  guarantees  a  higher  order  of 
life.  To  criticize  adversely  requires  a  standard  of  con- 
duct, and  it  is  by  the  suggestion  of  many  standards  that 
the  better  ideal  becomes  ascendant.  History  is  a  continual 
judgment  day.  No  man  can  stop  with  the  appraisal  of 
his  contemporaries.  Every  subsequent  age  revises  the 
estimates  of  preceding  generations.  Every  reader  of  the 
Bible  forces  David  into  court.  But  no  just  judgment  ever 
can  be  passed  apart  from  the  knowledge  of  the  full  circum- 
stances of  the  individual's  life.  God,  we  may  be  sure,  opens 
his  court  not  in  a  distant  land  of  far-off  ideals,  but  in  the 
city,  the  country,  and  the  age  in  which  the  prisoner  at  the 
bar  has  lived.  He  judges  David  not  by  the  twentieth  cen- 
tury but  by  the  ethical  standards  of  David's  day.  So  he 
judges  us,  neither  by  the  past  nor  by  the  future,  but  by  the 
moral  ideals  known  to  us.  No  judgment  could  be  sterner. 
We  cannot  palliate  our  faults  by  saying  that  they  fall 
short  of  David's  crimes.  We  are  not  judged  by  the  virtues 
or  the  vices  of  past  leaders.  We  are  praised  or  blamed  by 
our  revelation  of  righteousness. 

The  Worth  of  Friendship. — Through  all  David's  weak- 
nesses and  sin  there  run  enough  noble  qualities  to  account 
for  the  glamour  which  he  threw  over  his  people.  His  con- 
tinual courtesy  to  Saul  and  immortal  friendship  for  Jona- 
than are  not  to  be  forgotten.  David  had  the  rare  power 
of  arousing  the  intensest  loyalty  among  those  who  knew 
him  best.  What  achievement  surpasses  the  winning  and 
holding  of  true  friendship?  Count  your  possessions  in 
the  true  friendships  which  you  have  cultivated.  Take  time 
to  make  friends — not  friendly  acquaintances,  but  friends; 
not  business  associates,  but  friends ;  not  dinner  companions, 


138  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

but  friends.     In  your  pure  and  unselfish  friendships  you 
will  find  some  of  the  greatest  of  life's  blessings. 

The  Temptations  of  Power. — It  was  a  cruel  wrong,  un- 
worthy of  a  king,  sinful  in  anybody,  which  Uriah  suffered 
from  David.  Men  who  occupy  high  position  often  become 
fond  of  the  adulation  of  humbler  people,  and  sometimes 
demand  the  latter's  service  as  their  right.  It  is  difficult 
to  understand  that  great  position  is  given  by  God,  not  for 
the  benefit  of  the  individual  who  wields  the  power,  but  for 
the  service  of  one's  fellow  men.  Great  position  is  great 
responsibility.  God  gives  a  man  honor  that  he  may  bless 
the  world.  He  bestows  wealth  upon  him  that  he  may 
lighten  the  burdens  of  his  fellow  men.  It  is  not  a  Nero, 
but  a  Marcus  Aurelius,  who  justifies  a  Eoman  imperial 
rule.  It  was  a  Greek  saying  that  the  gods  prosper  those 
whom  they  are  about  to  destroy.  It  is  another  way  of 
pointing  out  the  fact  that  power  is  liable  to  many  abuses. 
It  was  when  David  felt  securest  on  his  throne  that  his 
greatest  wrong  was  committed.  The  man  in  authority 
needs  to  live  close  to  God. 

Lesson  Tests 

1.  Why  was  David  among  the  Philistines  at  the  time  of 
Saul's  death? 

2.  What  reasons  had  David  for  supposing  that  the  tribes 
of  Judah  and  Caleb,  which  occupied  southern  Palestine,  would 
receive  him  as  their  king? 

3.  What  did  the  anointing  of  the  king  mean  to  David  and 
his  subjects? 

4.  What  aroused  the  Philistines  to  attack  David? 

5.  Why  was  northern  Israel  so  slow  to  acknowledge  David 
a  king? 

6.  What  was  David's  chief  political  service  for  Israel? 

7.  Explain  the  causes  of  Absalom's  rebellion. 

8.  What  qualities  in  David  won  for  him  the  loyalty  and 
service  of  men  like  Joab,  Hushai,  and  Ittai? 

9.  Explain  the  idealization  of  David  by  later  centuries. 

Collateral  Reading 

Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  239-276. 
Smith,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  129-155. 
Kent,  Biblical  Geography  and  History,  pp.  147-161. 
Wallis,  Sociological  Study  of  the  Bible,  pp.  120-139. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
DAVID,  CHAMPION  OF  JEHOVAH 

Latee  Israel  clearly  idealized  the  character  and  the 
rule  of  David.  It  made  him  the  author  of  many  of  the 
psalms  and  of  the  complex  liturgy  of  the  second  temple 
(1  Chronicles,  chapters  23  to  26),  and  found  in  his  dis- 
tant past  the  golden  age  of  the  nation's  prowess  and  of  royal 
justice.  This  is  proof  enough  that  Israel  rightfully  traces 
to  David  a  powerful  influence  in  the  awakening  and  estab- 
lishment of  the  religion  of  Jehovah  in  Israel.  It  is  the  aim 
of  this  chapter  to  outline  the  contribution  of  David  and 
his  times  to  the  development  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  The 
biblical  passages  chiefly  available  for  this  study  are  given 
in  the  preceding  chapter. 

David  Awakened  a  Fuller  Devotion  to  Jehovah 

The   Religions   Significance   of  Victorious  Battle. — It 

must  be  kept  in  mind  that  the  entrance  of  the  Hebrew 
tribes  into  Canaan  placed  on  trial  their  confidence  in  Je- 
hovah. A  people's  welfare,  in  the  reasoning  of  primitive 
people,  is  closely  bound  up  with  the  strength  and  prestige 
of  their  deity.  Israel's  victories  were  regarded  by  the 
Hebrew  clans  as  Jehovah's  victories,  and  their  defeats  were 
held  to  be  the  discomfiture  of  their  Deity.  That  the 
Canaanites  were  able  to  retain  so  many  of  their  strong- 
holds and  the  Philistines  were  able  to  hold  the  inhabitants 
of  the  highlands  in  subjection  was  unquestioned  proof 
of  the  superiority  of  their  gods.  It  is  everywhere  apparent 
in  the  sections  studied  in  Chapter  XVI  that  David's  reign 
was  a  quickening  of  loyalty  to  Israel's  national  Deity.  The 
revival  and  faith  in  Jehovah,  begun  under  Saul,  was  car- 
ried to  further  triumph  under  David.  There  is  no  trace 
in  these  earlier  historical  narratives  that  either  David 
or  his  people  worshiped  Canaanitish  or  Philistine  gods: 

139 


140  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

Jehovah  alone  possessed  their  loyalty.  There  were,  of 
course,  many  ideas  and  much  ritual  borrowed  from  these 
cults  and  appropriated  in  their  service  of  Jehovah,  but  for 
them  he  alone  was  Lord  of  their  lives.  Consider  what  the 
victories  of  David,  undertaken  under  the  standard  of  Je- 
hovah, accomplished  in  calling  the  people  to  the  worship 
of  Jehovah.  To  what  extent  would  the  steady  rise  of  David 
to  power,  from  the  hour  he  set  out  from  Ziklag  until  he 
set  up  his  undisputed  throne  in  the  captured  Jebusite 
stronghold  at  Jerusalem,  create  a  new  conviction  among 
the  Hebrews  that  Jehovah  indeed  regarded  them  as  his 
own,  and  purposed  to  exalt  them  as  his  people  ?  Examine 
2  Samuel  6.  21  and  14.  13.  What  had  SauPs  and  David's 
victories  done  to  quicken  this  consciousness  that  Israel  is 
indeed  the  people  of  Jehovah?  Read  1.  12  for  the  feeling 
that  the  armies  of  Israel  are  especially  the  people  of  Je- 
hovah. Turn  to  5.  20,  24  for  the  belief  that  Jehovah  is 
the  captain  of  the  armies  of  Israel,  and  consider  the  testi- 
mony here  borne  to  the  new  national  and  religious  con- 
sciousness of  Israel  aroused  by  David's  kingship.  See  also 
3.  18  and  5.  2  for  the  widespread  conviction  that  David 
is  Jehovah's  champion  and  that  his  victories  awakened  a 
new  popular  loyalty  to  Israel's  God.  The  name  of  the 
Hittite  warrior  Uriah  (Jehovah  is  Light)  indicates  that 
Jehovah  had  come  unto  such  prestige  among  his  people 
that  the  name  of  an  alien  reflects  his  glory. 

The  Personal  Example  of  the  King. — David,  like  Saul, 
was  ardently  religious.  His  religious  loyalty  was  given 
to  Jehovah  alone.  It  was  in  the  name  of  Jehovah  that  he 
claimed  the  loyalty  of  Israel.  In  addition  to  the  new  devo- 
tion to  Jehovah  awakened  by  the  generalship  and  states- 
manship of  David,  his  own  public  attention  to  Jehovah 
worship  stimulated  this  national  era  in  Israel's  religion. 
Notice  the  term  applied  to  David  in  2  Samuel  19.  21  and 
consider  in  connection  with  the  coronations  mentioned  in 
2.  4  and  5.  3  that  the  anointing  of  the  king  was  a  religious 
act;  it  was  an  acknowledgment  of  Jehovah's  leadership 
over  David  and  Israel.  See  the  expression  ^^Dcfore  Je- 
hovah" in  5.  3  and  remember  that  this  means  before  the 


DAVID,  CHAMPION  OF  JEHOVAH         141 

altar  at  Hebron  at  which  sacrifices  to  Jehovah  customarily 
were  made.  Thus  David's  acceptance  of  the  kingship  car- 
ried with  it  a  public  expression  of  loyalty  to  Jehovah.  Yet 
this  was  not  a  new  worship  to  David.  Eead  1  Samuel 
30.  26  for  evidence  of  his  religious  convictions  in  the  period 
of  his  outlawry. 

David  contributed  greatly  to  the  revival  of  loyalty  to 
Jehovah  through  his  constant  consultation  of  Jehovah  at 
the  important  turns  of  his  career.  Eead  again  1  Samuel 
22  and  observe  that  SauPs  senseless  slaughter  of  the  priests 
of  Nob  sent  Abiathar,  the  only  survivor  of  the  massacre, 
with  the  ephod  used  at  Nob,  to  champion  David's  cause. 
David  in  his  wanderings  makes  constant  use  of  this  method 
of  ascertaining  Jehovah's  will.  Eead  1  Samuel  23.  2-4, 
11-12;  30.  8;  2  Samuel  2.  1;  5.  19,  23  and  state  the  crises 
in  which  David  consulted  Jehovah  and  what  these  constant 
public  exhibits  of  David's  dependence  upon  the  oracle  of 
Jehovah  contributed  to  new  devotion  to  Jehovah  among 
the  people.  Examine  3.  35;  12.  5;  14.  11;  1  Kings  1.  29f., 
47  and  note  the  evidence  that  Jehovah  was  David's  supreme 
and  only  Deity.  For  other  instances  of  the  preeminence 
of  Jehovah  in  the  life  of  David  and  his  people  see  2  Samuel 
3.  28;  10.  12;  12.  22;  16.  8.  Especially  note  the  attitude 
of  the  priests  Abiathar  and  Zadok  at  the  outbreak  of 
Absalom's  rebellion,  15.  24.  That  they  regarded  David 
as  the  true  champion  of  Jehovah  is  evidenced  further  by 
David's  dependence  upon  them  at  the  collapse  of  the  rebel- 
lion, 19.  11.  However,  the  most  striking  testimony  to 
David's  public  service  in  the  interests  of  Jehovah  is  found 
in  6.  1-19.  Eead  again  this  narrative  of  the  Ark's  transfer 
to  Jerusalem;  observe  David's  personal  interest  in  the 
event;  and  consider  what  effect  the  transfer  of  the  Ark 
to  David's  capital  had  upon  the  nation's  devotion  to  Je- 
hovah. 

David  was  conscious  that  he  was  Jehovah's  servant  to 
further  the  revival  of  Jehovah  religion  begun  under  Samuel 
and  Saul.  Study  4.  9;  5.  12;  5.  20;  6.  21  for  instances 
of  this  supreme  conviction  of  David's  life.  It  was  this 
consciousness,  added  to  the  charm  of  his  personal  character 


142  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

and  his  military  and  political  abilities,  which  secured  him 
his  kingdom  and  made  it  possible  for  him  to  weather  the 
rebellion  of  Absalom  and  the  conspiracy  of  Adonijah. 

The  Content  of  the  Religion  of  Jehovah  in  the 
Times  of  David 

The  Knowledge  of  Jehovah's  Will. — The  mode  of  ascer- 
taining the  Deity's  will  is  closely  parallel  to  the  moral  value 
of  that  which  is  believed  to  be  the  divine  requirement.  If 
the  method  of  discovery  is  crude,  the  more  likely  will 
there  be  a  limited  worthiness  in  the  resultant  conception 
of  the  Deity's  requirements.  David,  like  Saul,  makes 
continual  use  of  the  ephod.  Examine  1  Samuel  23.  2-4 
and  observe  that  David  evidently  puts  two  questions  to 
Jehovah;  that  is,  to  the  sacred  lot:  namely,  "Shall  I  go 
out  and  fight  the  Philistines  ?  Shall  I  go  down  to  Keilah  ?" 
State  in  similar  fashion  the  two  questions  asked  in  23.  11, 
12.  In  30.  8  three  questions  were  asked:  namely,  "Shall 
I  pursue  this  troop?  Shall  I  overtake  them?  Shall  I 
recover  all?"  State  the  two  questions  in  2  Samuel  2.  1 
and  5.  19.  A  more  complicated  series  of  questions  is  found 
in  5.  23-24.  Here  the  questions  evidently  were,  "Shall 
I  go  up  against  the  Philistines?  [Make  a  frontal  attack?] 
Shall  I  take  them  in  the  rear?  Shall  I  attack  them  op- 
posite the  mulberry  trees  ?  When  shall  I  begin  the  attack  ?'^ 
Note  that  these  questions  witness  to  David's  absolute  de- 
pendence upon  Jehovah  and  loyalty  to  him,  and  that  such 
loyalty  and  dependence  are  the  fundamentals  of  religious 
progress.  Observe  that  in  all  these  questions  David  is 
seeking  guidance  at  an  ocasion  of  option,  or,  almost,  con- 
firmation of  decisions  which  he  has  nearly  made.  The 
conviction  that  Jehovah  has  counseled  a  definite  action 
provides  the  assurance  needed  by  his  hesitating  mind.  The 
arbitrary  decisions  of  the  lot  were  as  psychologically 
powerful  as  verbal  communications  from  Jehovah  might 
have  proved. 

A  new  level  of  revelation  is  reached  in  Nathan's  rebuke 
of  David's  sin  against  Uriah.  Read  2  Samuel  12.  1-9, 
13-15.    It  is  little  that  we  know  of  Nathan.    Was  he  one 


DAVID,  CHAMPION  OF  JEHOVAH  143 

of  those  prophets  whose  enthusiasm  for  Jehovah  awoke 
the  dormant  energies  of  Saul  ?  He,  at  any  rate,  was  a  great 
man.  In  his  reflecting  soul  moral  values  have  become 
supreme.  Jehovah  speaks  to  him  in  terms  of  honor,  jus- 
tice, and  righteousness.  He  knows  that  his  king  has  done 
a  dastardly  thing.  He  feels  that  Jehovah  has  commis- 
sioned him  to  bring  home  to  the  sluggish  conscience  of 
David  a  sense  of  his  dishonor.  Here  is  the  true  beginning 
of  the  great  ethical  prophets  of  Israel.  Nathan  spoke  out 
of  the  moral  passion  of  his  soul,  and  he  was  certain  that 
he  was  voicing  the  truth  of  God.  His  "thus  saith  Je- 
hovah^'  was  unquestioned  by  his  king.  Henceforth  men 
who  discover  new  moral  meanings  in  the  depths  of  their 
own  soul  and  who  realize  that  these  new  moral  truths  will 
add  new  worth  to  human  affairs,  may  utter  them  boldly 
in  the  name  of  God.  Henceforth  dreams,  the  sacred  lot, 
spiritualistic  mediums,  augury  from  animals,  and  the 
rustle  of  sacred  trees  must  give  way  to  the  man  who  knows 
within  his  own  soul  that,  in  new  moral  readings  of  life, 
he  has  been  spoken  to  by  God. 

The  Requirements  of  Jehovah.  In  Worship. — Jehovah's 
demands,  as  these  were  conceived  by  the  Hebrews,  were 
mainly  satisfied  with  the  ritual  of  sacrifice.  Sacrifice  has 
not  yet  been  limited  to  the  sanctuary  at  Jerusalem.  There 
is  no  condemnation,  in  David's  day,  of  the  common  use  of 
the  high  places.  The  usual  sacrifices,  as  of  old,  take  place 
here  in  the  customary  manner.  These  altars  were  the 
asylum  of  the  distressed,  1  Kings  1.  50,  but  their  sanctity 
was  not  always  respected,  2.  28.  Sacrifices  are  intended  to 
secure  Jehovah's  favor.  When  the  situation  renders  the 
sacrifices  impossible,  vows  to  perform  the  sacrifices  when 
conditions  permit  them  to  be  offered,  take  their  place,  2 
Samuel  15.  7-12.  To  serve  Jehovah,  15.  8,  is  to  render 
him  the  homage  of  sacrifice. 

In  Conduct. — The  content  of  goodness  often  appears  by 
contrast  in  the  meaning  of  sin.  It  was  sinful  to  touch  with 
unsanctified  hands,  thoughtlessly  or  intentionally,  sacred 
objects  and  persons.  It  was  thought  that  Uzzah,  who 
was  not  a  priest,  angered  Jehovah  by  touching  the  Ark. 


144  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

Only  those  who  were  set  apart  to  the  priestly  office,  and 
then  with  much  regard  to  the  maintenance  of  their  *'holi- 
ness/^  could  touch  sacred  objects  with  impunity.  Jonathan 
sinned  in  eating  honey  on  the  day  of  battle  during  which 
Saul  had  placed  a  taboo  on  all  food.  Uriah,  in  refusing 
to  see  his  wife  while  he  was  engaged  in  a  military  cam- 
paign, refrained  from  sin.  Drunkenness,  concubinage, 
and  plurality  of  wives  were  not  regarded  as  immoral. 
Treachery,  murder,  and  broken  covenants  were  the  high- 
est misdemeanors.  Second  Samuel  3.  27-30  indicates  the 
feeling  of  moral  Israel  at  the  treachery  and  murder  of 
Joab.  Yet  3.  30  and  21.  1-9  with  greater  fullness  show 
the  endless  circle  of  killing  which  the  obligation  of  blood- 
revenge  involved.  The  horror  of  David  at  Joab's  act,  to- 
gether with  the  recognized  duty  of  the  avenger  of  blood, 
reveal  the  vicious  circle  in  which  Hebrew  morality  yet 
moves.  Nathan^s  accusation  of  David  is  a  merciless  revela- 
tion of  the  nature  of  the  sins  of  adultery  and  murder.  It 
was  the  brutal,  lustful,  detestable  selfishness  of  David  which 
expressed  itself  in  the  two  public  crimes.  Here  true 
morality  makes  a  beginning  at  being  recognized.  The 
root  of  sin  is  an  unbridled  self.  It  is  refusal  to  see  and 
to  acknowledge  community  rights.  It  is  a  denial  of  the 
fellowship  of  God  and  men. 

Summary  :  The  Coming  Kingdom 

Saul  inaugurated  and  David  established  a  new  epoch  in 
Israel's  religion.  They  made  Jehovah  the  unconditional 
Master  of  Canaan.  With  Israel's  supremacy  over  the 
Canaanites,  the  gods  of  the  Canaanites  sank  into  obscurity. 
We  shall  find  that  their  cult  frequently  was  borrowed; 
but  the  gain  under  David  is  that  henceforth  for  the  nation's 
leaders  Jehovah  is  the  supreme  Hebrew  Deity.  The  trans- 
fer of  the  ark  to  Jerusalem  was  the  beginning  of  the  his- 
tory of  the  Holy  City.  A  beginning  is  made  at  giving 
social  justice  the  sanction  of  religion  in  Nathan's  insistence 
that  David's  wrong  to  a  subject,  ordinarily  a  king's  privi- 
lege, is  a  sin  against  Jehovah. 


DAVID,  CHAMPION  OF  JEHOVAH         145 

FoK  THE  Quiet  Hour 

The  Need  of  a  Great  Cause. — David  during  his  days  of 
outlawry  possessed  the  same  qualities  and  the  same  military 
genius  which  Israel  honored  in  him  after  the  coronation. 
Yet  had  he  died  in  those  earlier  years,  we  would  not  now 
study  him.  It  was  the  cause  which  conferred  upon  him 
the  greatness  which  the  world  knows.  Yet  David  was  not 
without  a  cause  in  his  obscurer  years.  Even  then  he  was 
looking  to  become  the  saviour  of  Israel.  It  was  the  reli- 
gious devotion  of  David  which  led  to  his  coronation.  It 
ever  takes  a  cause  to  confer  immortality.  Life  ever  is 
mediocre  without  a  cause  to  give  greatness  and  grandeur. 
The  great  cause  is  ever  at  hand.  To  promote  a  better  civili- 
zation is  a  social  task  of  magnificent  proportions.  Yet  it 
is  primarily  an  individual's  task.  To  live  unselfishly,  to 
promote  the  common  good,  to  cherish  the  cooperative  spirit 
and  to  practice  it  to  the  utmost  of  one's  ability  is  the  work 
of  individuals,  but  it  is  not  merely  the  affair  of  isolated 
lives.  It  is  a  social  task  of  preeminent  worth.  It  is  the 
only  consequential  way  in  which  the  social  levels  can  be 
maintained  at  the  heights  to  which  political  and  economic 
revolutions  may  lift  them.  Therefore  a  cause  of  vast  mag- 
nitude waits  at  the  door  of  the  humblest  individual.  To 
invite  that  cause  into  one's  life  is  the  only  guarantee  of 
greatness. 

God's  Appointee. — It  is  not  enough,  however,  to  have  a 
cause.  One  must  have  the  consciousness  that  God  has 
commissioned  the  enterprise.  "It  was  Jehovah  who  chose 
me  to  appoint  me  prince  over  Israel."  Blessed  is  that 
man  who  holds  the  clear  conviction  that  God  has  chosen 
his  task  for  him.  How  infrequently  is  this  the  case !  The 
preacher  is  expected  to  believe  sincerely  that  he  has  been 
commissioned  with  a  divine  message  which  the  world  needs. 
Do  the  teacher,  the  physician,  the  farmer,  and  the  mer- 
chant feel  the  same  about  their  callings  ?  As  long  as  men 
and  women  choose  careers  for  the  fame  or  wealth  to  be  had 
in  them,  so  long  will  they  be  unable  to  claim  God's  com- 
mission.    Yet  his  commission  is  absolutely  indispensable 


146  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

to  any  genuine  success.    It  matters  not  how  valiantly  we 
strive  without  God's  appointment.    We  arrive  nowhere. 

Seaeching  foe  the  Truth 

1.  What  political  measures  were  necessary  in  order  that 
Jehovah  might  be  universally  acknowledged  among  the 
Hebrews? 

2.  To  what  extent  was  Hebrew  life  in  the  times  of  Saul  and 
David  a  religious  life? 

3.  Why  is  it  important  that  men  in  high  position  should 
live  religiously? 

4.  What  are  the  evidences  of  David's  piety? 

5.  Why  was  David  so  idealized  among  succeeding  genera- 
tions? 

6.  What  was  David's  sin  as  it  was  presented  by  Nathan? 
What  was  the  sin  of  which  David  declared  his  innocence  in 
2  Samuel  3.  28?  What  conception  of  sinfulness  enters  into 
David's  condemnation  of  the  Amalekite  in  2  Samuel  1.  16  and 
the  murder  of  Ishbosheth  in  4.  12? 

7.  Why  do  we  not  use  the  sacred  lot  in  our  day  to  dis- 
cover the  will  of  God? 

8.  What  advances  were  made  toward  the  realization  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  in  the  times  of  David? 

Useful  References 

Budde,  The  Religion  of  Israel  to  the  Exile,  pp.  103-111. 
G.  A.  Smith,  Jerusalem,  Volume  II,  pp.  24-47. 
Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  Volume  V,  p  659f,  662- 
^664. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  MONARCHY  UNDER  SOLOMON 

The  rule  of  Solomon  is  of  supreme  interest  in  the  politi- 
cal history  of  Israel.  It  opens  with  the  full  splendor  of 
the  united  Hebrew  monarchy,  and  ends  with  the  smolder- 
ing discords  which  were  to  curse  both  Israel  and  Judah 
until  their  national  existence  was  no  more.  Solomon  came 
to  the  throne  about  B.  C.  970,  and  under  his  reign  of  ap- 
proximately forty  years  he  made  the  monarchy  obnoxious 
to  his  subjects  and  showed  that  it  was  no  longer  the  minis- 
ter of  Jehovah^s  religion.  There  is  little  of  worth  to  ascribe 
to  Solomon  in  the  development  of  Israel's  worship;  one 
misses  the  fine  devotion  of  David  to  the  nation's  God. 
But  in  the  study  of  Israel's  religion  Solomon  may  not  be 
passed  by.  Since  the  political  life  of  Israel  and  its  reli- 
gion are  so  closely  mingled,  we  must  understand  the  politi- 
cal history  of  Solomon's  reign. 

Solomon's  Measuees  To  Secuee  His  Theone 

The  Kevolt  of  the  King's  Enemies. — Solomon,  like  many 
a  tyrannic  ruler,  sought  to  strengthen  his  position  through 
the  death  of  those  who  might  have  fomented  rebellion. 
Read  1  Kings  2.  13-25  for  the  fate  of  Adonijah.  Since 
Solomon  was  not  the  oldest  son  of  David,  Adonijah  may 
well  have  had  conspiracy  in  his  heart.  His  request  for 
Abishag,  one  of  David's  concubines,  according  to  an  ancient 
Semitic  custom  that  a  man's  wives  passed  to  his  heir,  may 
well  have  been  a  hint  of  his  cherished  pretensions  to  the 
throne.  Is  there  any  criticism  passed  upon  Solomon's 
ruthless  policy?  What  was  done  to  Abiathar  and  why 
was  he  objectionable  to  Solomon?  See  1  Kings  2.  26. 
The  end  of  Joab,  to  whom  the  strength  of  David's  king- 
dom so  much  was  due,  seems  less  justifiable,  1  Kings  2. 

147 


148  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

28-34.  Yet  consider  whether  Solomon's  evident  purpose 
to  reign  as  an  absolute  sovereign  could  have  been  carried 
out  with  such  a  resolute,  independent  captain  of  armies 
living  in  Israel.  Is  Solomon's  command  that  Shimei  shall 
abide  in  Jerusalem  a  hint  that  opposing  factions  still 
existed  and  that  Shimei  was  harmless  only  as  long  as  he 
was  closely  kept  under  surveillance?  See  1  Kings  2.  36- 
46.  His  death  seems  to  have  deprived  any  hostile  elements 
of  possible  leadership  and  Solomon  now  reigns  supreme. 

Solomon's  Militarism. — The  national  boundaries  of 
Israel  were  determined  by  the  wars  of  David.  It  seems  that 
David,  under  the  captaincy  of  Joab,  conducted  a  military 
campaign  every  year.  Solomon  made  no  effort  to  enlarge 
by  war  the  nation's  boundaries.  David  by  conquering 
Edom  extended  Israel's  influence  southward  to  Elath  on 
the  Red  Sea.  Moab,  2  Samuel  8.  2,  and  Ammon,  17.  27, 
were  tributary  states.  He  held  in  subjection  the  Arameans 
who  ranged  southward  from  Damascus.  On  the  western 
side  of  the  Jordan,  David  extended  the  limits  of  Israel  to 
the  southern  boundary  of  the  kingdom  of  Hamath  on  the 
Orontes.  The  Philistine  territory  in  the  maritime  plain 
was  the  boundary  on  the  west.  Beersheba  was  the  south- 
ernmost town  of  Israel  proper.  This  was  the  largest 
territory  under  one  rule  in  southern  Syria  for  centuries. 

It  was  this  kingdom  which  Solomon  sought  to  retain 
by  a  strong  military  policy.  He  greatly  strengthened  the 
fortified  cities  of  his  kingdom.  Note  the  cities  mentioned 
in  1  Kings  9.  15,  18-19  and  locate  these  cities  on  a  map. 
Tamar  in  the  wilderness  possibly  may  be  en-Gedi  in  the 
Judsean  wilderness  on  the  Dead  Sea.  Baalath  certainly 
was  a  southern  Judsean  city.  Hazor  was  an  upper  Galilasan 
city,  probably  near  Barak's  old  home  at  Kedesh.  The 
other  sites  have  not  been  identified.  No  doubt  many  other 
cities  were  made  more  defensible  and  strengthened  by 
soldiers.  Examine  1  Kings  10.  26  for  an  indication  of  the 
monarch's  military  strength.  Both  cavalry  and  chariots 
are  now  used  for  the  first  time  among  the  Hebrews.  His 
infantry  must  have  been  equally  numerous.  Solomon  evi- 
dently believed  that  preparedness  is  the  surety  of  peace. 


THE  MONARCHY  UNDER  SOLOMON       149 


The  Building  Opekations  of  Solomon 

Military  and  Civil  Posts. — Mention  has  already  been 
made  concerning  the  fortifications  which  were  strengthened 
or  erected  by  Solomon  at  certain  strategic  points  in  his 
kingdom.  An  early  historian,  1  Kings  9.  19  and  10.  26, 
tells  us  of  store-cities,  chariots-cities,  and  cities  for  horse- 
men. Such  cities  required  extensive  buildings,  and  with- 
out doubt  were  strongly  fortified.  In  the  store-cities  huge 
granaries  were  built  for  the  reception  of  barley  and  wheat. 
There  is  another  list  of  cities  in  1  Kings  4.  9-20.  Here 
are  a  dozen  cities,  the  capitals  of  the  administrative  dis- 
tricts into  which  Solomon  divided  his  kingdom.  Such 
cities  must  have  been  fortified,  and  even  if  they  did  not 
share  directly  in  the  king's  bounty,  they  certainly  were 
not  stagnating  in  this  period  of  prosperity.  A  traveler  in 
Palestine  during  the  reign  of  Solomon  would  have  been 
impressed  with  the  industrial  activity  in  every  part  of 
the  country. 

The  New  Buildings  of  the  Capital.— Read  1  Kings  7. 
1-12.  Here  is  a  description  of  the  palace  buildings.  They 
are  given  in  the  order  that  a  visitor,  approaching  from 
the  south,  would  find  them.^  The  House  of  the  Eorest  of 
Lebanon,  7.  2-5,  was  the  southernmost  building  of  the 
palace  group.  This  was  the  largest  of  the  buildings  and 
took  its  name  from  the  many  cedar  pillars  which  had 
been  furnished  by  the  forests  of  Lebanon.  There  is  only 
one  statement  of  the  use  to  which  this  building  was  put, 
10.  17.  The  next  building  was  the  Porch  of  Pillars,  7.  6, 
which  probably  was  a  waiting-room  for  those  who  brought 
actions  at  law  before  the  king.  This  hall  was  entered 
through  a  porch  or  vestibule.  The  Throne  Hall,  7.  7, 
or  Judgment  Hall,  adjoined  the  Porch  of  Pillars.  It  was 
the  king's  audience  chamber  and  probably  contained  the 
throne  described  in  10.  18-20.  The  next  building  to  the 
north  was  the  palace.  It  stood  within  a  court  which  lay 
between  the  buildings  just  described  and  the  temple.    This 


iThe  student  should  consult  Paton's  Jerusalem  in  Bible  Times,  Chapter  VII. 


150  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL     • 

court  is  therefore  called  the  Middle  Court,  2  Kings  20.  4. 
In  Jeremiah  32.  2  it  is  called  the  Court  of  the  Guard.  In 
the  rear  of  the  palace  and  adjoining  it  was  the  house  of 
Pharaoh's  daughter.  All  of  these  buildings  were  con- 
structed of  the  finest  materials  which  Solomon's  resources 
afforded.  In  a  court  separated  by  a  wall  from  the  Middle 
Court  was  built  the  temple.  This  Court  of  the  Temple  was 
called  the  Inner  Court.  These  three  groups  of  buildings, 
the  Inner  Court  with  its  temple,  the  Middle  Court  with 
its  palace,  and  the  group  of  buildings  first  described,  all 
were  surrounded  by  walls  which  constituted  the  Great 
Court. 

Solomon  also  strengthened  the  fortifications  and  the 
walls  of  the  city,  1  Kings  9.  15,  24;  11.  27.  It  is  not 
known  precisely  what  the  Millo  was,  but  it  was  some  dis- 
tinctive feature  of  the  city's  defenses.  Such  extensive 
activities  of  building,  continued  through  twenty  years  at 
vast  expense,  accomplished  great  changes  in  the  architec- 
tural appearance  of  the  city  and  its  standards  of  life. 
The  character  of  the  capital  completely  changed.  Many 
foreign  artisans,  merchants,  and  visitors  from  surrounding 
courts  turned  the  little  city  of  David's  day  into  a  brilliant 
metropolis.  The  elaborate  shrine  to  Jehovah  probably 
was  regarded  as  proof  of  Solomon's  great  attention  to 
religion,  while  Solomon's  costly  expression  of  his  love  of 
pleasure  and  power,  splendor  and  fame  may  have  tempo- 
rarily made  men  forget  the  unselfish  devotion  of  David 
to  make  Israel  the  people  of  Jehovah. 

Solomon's  Measuees  to  Einance  His  Kingdom 

His  Political  and  Commercial  Alliances. — Read  1  Kings 
3.  1;  7.  8;  9.  24  for  the  earliest  of  these  alliances  and 
consider  its  importance  in  the  eyes  of  Solomon.  What 
advantages  would  accrue  from  alliance  with  Egypt?  9.  16. 
His  most  important  alliance  was  with  the  Phoenicians. 
Study  the  following  sections  and  determine  what  advan- 
tages fell  to  Hiram  and  what  was  the  gain  to  Solomon; 
5.  1  to  6.  11;  9.  10-14;  9.  26-28.  Eead  1  Kings  11.  1-8 
and  note  the  countries  from  which  the  king  took  wives. 


THE  MONARCHY  UNDER  SOLOMON       151 

These  numerous  marriages  were  not  due  wholly  to  the 
king^s  fondness  for  women ;  they  were  the  seal  of  political 
and  commercial  treaties.  They  were  not  the  result  of  his 
decadent  and  sensual  years,  but  they  were  entered  into  as 
political  measures  to  strengthen  his  kingdom  and  to  open 
up  routes  of  trade. 

Solomon's  Domestic  Policy. — The  internal  affairs  of  the 
kingdom  were  methodically  arranged.  There  were  officers 
of  the  king's  household  or  heads  of  departments,  1  Kjngs 
4.  2-6.  The  realm  was  divided  into  twelve  administrative 
districts,  4.  7-19,  and  over  each  was  a  provincial  governor 
who  was  responsible  for  one  month's  supplies  for  the  royal 
table.  If  the  figures  given  in  4.  22-24  are  correct,  the 
task  of  the  governor  was  not  light.  Read  attentively  5. 
13-18 ;  9.  20-22,  and  11.  28.  Here  it  is  stated  that  Solomon 
accomplished  his  building  enterprises  through  forced  labor. 
In  9.  20-22,  it  is  stated  that  Solomon  did  not  compel 
Israelites  to  do  forced  labor,  but  that  the  men  of  Canaanit- 
ish  race  were  drafted  for  his  labor  gangs.  But  in  5.  13 
and  11.  28  it  is  said  that  Israelites  were  chosen  for  this 
work.  It  is  quite  likely  that  Solomon  was  no  respecter 
of  persons  in  the  beginning  of  his  reign,  but  that  he  later 
modified  his  conscription  to  include  Canaanites  alone. 

The  Issues  of  the  Kingship  of  Solomon 

Reflect  upon  the  sections  you  have  studied  and  con- 
sider what  effect  Solomon's  absolutism  would  have  upon 
the  Hebrews  as  you  know  them  under  the  judges,  Saul 
and  David.  Weigh  also  the  resentment  which  his  ignoring 
of  tribal  organization  in  his  division  of  the  land  into  tax 
districts,  and  his  appointment  of  provincial  governors, 
would  awaken  in  Israel.  His  policy  was  nothing  less  than 
an  economic,  political,  and  social  revolution.  Consider 
too  what  this  forced  labor  meant  to  a  free  people.  He 
reduced  one  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  Canaanites  to 
slavery,  sent  thirty  thousand  of  his  brethren  to  toil  in  the 
Lebanons,  and  sent  other  multitudes  to  labor  in  the  quar- 
ries and  upon  his  prolonged  building  enterprises.  There 
were  no  doubt  certain  benefits  under  his  despotism.    The 


152  THE  EELIGION"  OF  ISRAEL 

land  was  at  peace;  times  were  good;  people  were  better 
housed  and  fed;  the  mental  life  of  the  people  was  expand- 
ing; the  people  were  learning  new  trades.  But  in  spite 
of  all  outward  conditions;,  there  were  being  fashioned  ele- 
ments which  would  rend  the  kingdom. 

There  are  specific  instances  of  the  disastrous  effects  of 
Solomon^s  economic  methods  recorded  in  1  Kings  11.  14- 
40.  Solomon  was  not  able  to  maintain  this  authority  over 
the  whole  of  the  territory  left  him  by  his  father.  Hadad 
freed  Edom  from  the  king's  oppressive  rule.  After  9.  22 
the  Septuagint  adds,  "And  Hadad  returned  to  his  coun- 
try. This  is  the  evil  that  Hadad  did;  and  he  oppressed 
Israel,  and  reigned  over  Edom."  Rezon,  by  the  capture 
of  Damascus,  became  the  founder  of  the  Aramaean  king- 
dom and  wrested  a  large  tract  of  territory  from  Solomon. 
Jeroboam  and  Elijah  are  instances  of  the  resentment 
which  Solomon's  policy  awakened  among  Israelites.  We 
will  meet  Jeroboam  again,  as  the  ruler  of  the  northern 
kingdom.  These  difficulties  did  not  arise  at  the  close  of 
the  king's  reign;  they  were  his  problems  from  the  begin- 
ning. Solomon  was  strong  enough  to  maintain  his  despotic 
career  in  spite  of  his  enemies,  but  he  was  arousing  an  op- 
position which  no  successor  could  overcome. 

Solomon's  reign  is  a  sharp  contrast  to  the  kingdom  under 
David.  David  seemed  to  live  for  the  welfare  of  Israel; 
Solomon  subordinated  the  nation  to  his  own  ambitions  for 
fame  and  luxury.  His  buildings,  his  foreign  alliances, 
his  development  of  trade  were  for  himself  alone.  He  forced 
multitudes  of  his  subjects  to  work  for  him  without  pay. 
His  luxury  and  exactions,  instead  of  cementing  the  tribes 
which  had  been  united  into  a  nation  by  his  father,  fomented, 
rather,  the  spirit  of  dismay  and  rebellion.  At  his  death 
the  boasted  monarchy  fell  in  pieces.  Yet  his  buildings,  his 
wealth,  his  government,  and  his  political  affiliations  set 
up  a  standard  which  his  successors  sought  to  imitate,  and 
later  centuries  saw  in  him  the  ideal  of  wisdom,  the  cul- 
tured monarch  who  had  given  Israel  a  place  among  the 
nations,  the  builder  of  the  most  magnificent  house  of  wor- 
ship in  the  world,  and  the  prince  who  had  sounded  the 


THE  MONARCHY  UNDER  SOLOMON       153 

depths  of  luxury,  fame,  and  sensuality  to  satisfy  the  heart 
of  man,  and  found  them  all  a  vanity. 

For  Lovers  of  the  Truth 

The  Meaning  of  Prosperity. — What  constitutes  a  nation's 
prosperity?  No  more  vital  question  can  be  proposed  to 
any  people.  The  answer  of  a  nation  determines  whether 
that  nation  shall  be  a  blessing  or  a  menace  to  mankind. 
If  multiplying  factories,  lengthening  railways,  and  greater 
markets  are  the  tests  of  progress,  even  modern  nations 
will  not  advance  the  work  and  the  happiness  of  humanity. 
Accumulating  wealth  is  no  guarantee  of  the  excellency  of 
a  civilization.  The  first  impression  is  that  Israel  under 
Solomon  was  prosperous.  But  does  any  nation  prosper 
when  the  soul  of  its  people  is  embittered  and  enslaved? 
What  people  whose  goal  was  material  prosperity  has  kept 
its  place  among  the  nations?  It  is  a  hard  lesson  to  learn 
that  righteousness,  justice,  and  good  will  are  the  only 
assurances  of  national  welfare. 

The  Isolation  of  Great  Wealth  and  Power. — There  is 
no  indication  that  Solomon  was  loved  by  his  subjects.  He 
dwells  isolated  in  the  midst  of  his  luxury.  He  has  many 
who  flatter  him,  many  who  fear  him,  many  who  parasitic- 
ally  cling  to  him.  But  any  excessive  accumulation  of  out- 
ward fortune  about  a  man  isolates  him  from  his  fellows. 
The  man  who  is  great  by  outward  circumstances  misses 
the  supreme  joy  of  close  comradeship  with  his  fellow  men. 
Nathan  Rothschild,  who  with  all  his  power  and  wealth 
was  profoundly  unhappy,  once  exclaimed  bitterly  to  an 
acquaintance  who  congratulated  him  upon  his  wealth  and 
happiness :  "Happy  !  Me  happy !"  How  many  men  of  the 
past,  distinguished  by  wealth  and  luxury  alone,  are  revered 
to-day?  Men  live  themselves  into  the  kindly  memory  of 
humanity  by  service  alone.  The  greatest  wealth  a  man 
can  win  is  not  in  gold  and  silver,  but  in  liis  comradeships. 

The  Failure  of  Autocracy. — Autocracy  often  appears  a 
greater  instrument  of  civilization  than  democracy.  Who 
has  not  been  saddened  by  the  moral  stupidity  of  the  multi- 
tude?    Drunkenness,  prostitution,   large  families  inade- 


154  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

quately  fed,  clothed  and  educated,  and  subjects  of  political 
demagogy — such  are  some  of  the  weaknesses  of  the 
masses  even  in  countries  of  democratic  opportunities. 
Autocracy  apparently  "arrives."  Autocratic  Solomon,  not 
democratic  David,  builds  the  temple.  Nero  builds  a  new 
Eome.  Napoleon  liberates  the  third  estate.  Nicholas 
stops  the  use  of  vodka  in  Eussia.  But  these  triumphs 
are  never  real:  they  always  fall  short  of  the  moral  vic- 
tories inaugurated  by  the  people  themselves.  The  only 
permanent  advances  in  civilization  are  made  by  the  peo- 
ple themselves.  The  leader  may  instruct,  but  he  cannot 
coerce.  He  may  legislate,  but  the  chief  value  of  his  law 
is  its  educational  impact  upon  the  mind  of  the  citizen.  To 
trust  the  people  means  slower  progress  than  to  put  con- 
fidence in  princes.  But  paternalism  is  never  permanent. 
It  is  a  makeshift.  True  civilization  must  spring  up  out 
of  the  souls  of  the  multitude. 

The  Lesson  Test 

1.  What  were  the  boundaries  of  the  kingdom  which  David 
left  to  his  son? 

2.  Were  Solomon's  executions  at  the  beginning  of  his  reign 
politically  justifiable? 

3.  What  policies  of  David  were  perpetuated  by  Solomon? 

4.  What  were  the  leading  motives  of  Solomon's  life  and 
kingship? 

5.  Compare  David  and  Solomon  in  the  following  points: 
military  efficiency  and  leadership;  ability  to  make  and  retain 
loyal  friends;  religious  life;  and  contributions  to  the  develop- 
ment of  Israel's  ethical  monotheism. 

6.  What  is  to  be  said  of  Solomon's  foreign  policy? 

7.  What  was  the  strength  of  his  domestic  administration? 

8.  What  were  its  elements  of  weakness? 

9.  What  personal  characteristics  or  political  successes  in- 
duced later  generations  to  consider  Solomon  the  wisest  of 
men? 

COLLATEBAL  READING 

Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  294-311. 
Smith,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  156-176. 
Kent,  Biblical  Geography  and  History,  pp.  162-167. 
Encyclopaedia  Biblica,  article  "Solomon." 


CHAPTER  XIX 
SOLOMON'S  AND  ISRAEL'S  RELIGION 

The  preceding  chapter  is  a  study  of  the  political  acts 
and  motives  of  Solomon  and  their  bearing  upon  the  de- 
velopment of  Israel's  religion.  The  present  chapter  is  a 
survey  of  the  king's  direct  religious  ideas  and  activities 
and  of  the  conceptions  of  religion  which  prevailed  among 
the  Hebrews  of  his  period. 

The  Wisdom  of  Solomon 

The  Ideal  of  Wisdom. — After  the  Greek  conquest  of 
Palestine  by  Alexander  the  Great  and  the  attempt  of  the 
Seleucid  kings  to  Hellenize  Jewish  life,  there  was  pro- 
duced by  Jewish  writers  a  considerable  literature  dealing 
both  with  practical  morals  and  speculative  discussions  of 
some  of  the  fundamental  problems  of  life.  These  writings 
are  known  as  Wisdom  Literature.  It  was  in  this  period 
that  Jewish  tradition  concerning  the  administrative  abili- 
ties of  Solomon  blossomed  into  an  ascription  of  the  highest 
wisdom  to  the  ancient  king.  Some  of  the  Proverbs  were 
ascribed  to  him  (Proverbs  25.  1).  Ecclesiastes  begins  with 
the  words,  "The  words  of  the  Preacher,  the  Son  of  David, 
King  in  Jerusalem."  Of  this  verse  Professor  Barton  has 
well  said:  "These  words  were  intended  to  designate  Solo- 
mon. They  were  added  by  the  editor  who,  on  account  of 
a  hasty  inference  from  1.  12ff.,  regarded  Solomon  as  the 
author.  As  Solomon  had  the  greatest  reputation  for  wis- 
dom, wealth,  splendor,  and  voluptuousness,  the  author  chose 
him  as  a  character  through  which  to  set  forth  in  literary 
fashion  his  observations  on  life  and  his  convictions  con- 
cerning it.  This  the  practically  minded  editor  mistook  for 
authorship.'^^ 

^International  Critical  Commentary,  1.  67. 

155 


156  THE  RELIGION  OE  ISEAEL 

There  are  sections  in  the  book  of  Kings  which  ascribe 
to  Solomon  wisdom  of  this  later  type.  The  student  may- 
consult  1  Kings  4.  29-34.  Here  Solomon  is  said  to  be  the 
wisest  of  men,  and  examples  of  his  wisdom  are  given.  The 
visit  of  the  queen  of  Sheba,  10.  4-10,  is  further  offered  as 
an  instance  of  the  visit  of  princes  from  every  part  of  the 
earth  to  offer  him  tribute  and  to  profit  by  his  wisdom, 
10.  24.  Since  Solomon  made  such  a  profound  impression 
upon  later  generations,  it  is  worth  while  to  inquire  which 
sort  of  wisdom  he  actually  possessed. 

The  Nature  of  Solomon's  Wisdom. — Eead  1  Kings  3. 
16-28.  Here  is  an  instance  of  the  wisdom  which  ever  has 
been  prized  in  the  earth.  The  wisdom  of  Solomon  was  not 
very  profound.  It  was  not  the  wisdom  of  the  philosopher  or 
the  earnest  moralist.  It  was  shrewdness,  political  sagacity, 
expertness  in  solving  riddles  and  a  certain  facility  for  turn- 
ing maxims  of  life.  Another  example  of  his  wisdom  is 
given  in  9.  11-14.  Hiram  of  Tyre  advanced  Solomon  one 
hundred  and  twenty  talents  of  gold.  Solomon  in  return 
gave  Hiram  twenty  cities  in  Galilee.  But  the  king  of 
Tyre  seems  to  have  been  overreached  by  Solomon  in  this 
transaction.  The  historical  foundation  for  the  wisdom  of 
Solomon  is  the  political  sagacity  evidenced  in  his  manage- 
ment of  the  domestic  and  foreign  affairs  of  his  kingdom. 
He  made  Israel  a  world-state  during  the  brief  period  of 
his  reign.  This  was  enough,  in  the  thought  of  later  gen- 
erations, harassed  by  Babylonian,  Persian,  Greek,  and 
Roman,  and  dreaming  of  a  Messianic  world-empire,  to  win 
for  Solomon  the  ascription  of  the  highest  wisdom. 

The  Origin  of  the  King's  Wisdom. — Read  1  Kings  3. 
4-15.  Solomon  apparently  inaugurated  his  reign  by  the 
celebration  of  a  great  sacrificial  feast  at  Gibeon.  Gibeon 
is  here  called  "the  great  high  place.''  This  indicates  that 
it  was  the  most  frequented  sanctuary  in  the  vicinity  of 
Jerusalem.  The  Ark,  the  most  highly  regarded  sanc- 
tity of  the  Hebrews,  was  housed  within  a  tent  at  Jeru- 
salem, but  it  is  not  yet  the  center  of  Israel's  worship.  It 
is  stated  that  Solomon  slept  at  Gibeon  and  undoubtedly 
expecting  that  Jehovah  would  answer  him  in  a  dream,  he 


SOLOMON^S  AND  ISEAEL'S  EELIGION     157 

slept  within  the  sanctuary.  Among  primitive  peoples 
generally  the  dream  is  thought  to  be  a  true  way  for  the 
deity  to  reveal  his  will.  Among  Babylonians  and  Egyp- 
tians it  was  a  common  practice  to  seek  answers  to  prayers 
by  sleeping  in  a  temple.  The  process  was  as  follows :  The 
worshiper  entered  the  sanctuary,  stated  his  request  to  the 
deity  before  whose  altar  he  stood,  and  prayed  that  his 
request  might  be  granted;  then  the  inquirer  passed  the 
night  at  the  sanctuary  and  considered  as  the  deity^s  an- 
swer to  his  prayer  any  dream  which  came  to  him  bearing 
upon  his  request.  Solomon  requested  that  wisdom  which 
would  enable  him  to  administer  successfully  the  affairs 
of  his  kingdom.  The  natural  consequence  of  such  wisdom 
was  health  and  honor.  But  it  is  important  to  remember 
that  Solomon,  like  David  and  Saul,  believed  his  kingship 
to  be  the  gift  of  Jehovah.  At  the  threshold  of  his  career 
he  sought  the  help  of  the  Deity  of  his  fathers.  Yet  it  is 
to  be  noted  that  no  prophet  stood  at  the  side  of  Solomon. 
Saul  had  his  Samuel  and  David  his  Nathan,  but  none  of 
the  prophetic  order  appears  to  have  counseled  Solomon 
concerning  Jehovah's  will. 

The  Temple  of  Solomon 

The  Site  of  the  Temple.— There  is  little  doubt  about  the 
site  of  Solomon's  temple.  Visitors  in  Jerusalem  will  see 
beneath  the  dome  of  the  Mosque  of  Omar  the  bare  rocky 
summit  of  Mount  Moriah.  This  projection  of  native  rock 
sacred  to  the  Moslem  was  once  the  altar  of  burnt-offer- 
ing standing,  in  Solomon's  day,  at  the  eastern  front  of  the 
temple.  The  temple  itself  stood  directly  west  of  this  rock. 
It  was  necessary  to  build  superstructures  on  the  side  of 
the  hill  to  provide  a  level  platform  for  the  temple  building 
and  surrounding  wall. 

Its  Plan,  Size,  and  Materials. — The  temple  was  one  of 
the  palace  buildings.  It  was  not  a  large  structure.  It  was 
"a  thick-walled,  rectangular  building  of  large  squared 
stones  and  cedar  beams,  about  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
four  feet  long  by  fifty-five  broad,  and  over  fifty-two  high; 
with  a  porch  of  uncertain  height  on  the  east  side,  and 


158  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

round  the  others  three  stories  of  side  chambers  to  a  height 
of  about  seventeen  feet  plus  the  roof.'^'  Read  1  Kings  6. 
2-7  for  the  biblical  account.  First  Bangs  6.  15-35  describes 
the  inner  arrangements  of  the  temple.  The  interior  was 
divided  into  two  apartments.  The  eastern  apartment  was 
called  "the  palace" — that  is,  the  royal  residence  of  the 
Deity — and  was  seventy  feet  long,  thirty-four  and  one-half 
broad,  and  fifty-five  high  (G.  A.  Smith).  In  later  times 
this  room  was  called  the  holy  place.  It  contained  the  table 
of  shewbread  (called  an  altar  in  6.  20).  See  also  7.  48. 
It  is  probable  that  at  this  time  there  were  in  use  also  the 
ten  candles  or  lamps  mentioned  in  7.  49.  The  western 
apartment  was  a  cubical  chamber  measuring  thirty-four 
and  one-half  feet.  In  later  times  it  was  called  the  Holy 
of  Holies.  This  room  contained  the  Ark  and  was  regarded 
as  the  actual  dwelling  of  the  Deity.  At  either  end  of  the 
Ark  stood  the  Cherubim.  Read  6.  23-28  for  their  descrip- 
tion.   Notice  the  ornamentation  of  the  inner  walls,  6.  29. 

The  Work  of  Hiram. — First  Kings  7.  13-51.  Solomon 
brought  a  famous  brass-worker  from  Tyre  who  set  up  his 
foundry  in  the  Jordan  valley  (verse  46),  where  suitable 
soil  was  found  for  his  molds.  Here  he  manufactured  vari- 
ous implements  and  ornaments  for  the  temple.  These 
were  the  two  great  bronze  pillars,  Jachin  and  Boaz,  which 
stood  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  entrance  of  the  porch 
at  the  eastern  end  of  the  temple,  7.  15-22 ;  the  brazen  sea, 
a  great  tank  seventeen  feet  in  diameter  "supported  on  the 
backs  of  twelve  bronze  bulls,  facing  bv  threes  to  the  four 
quarters  of  heaven"  (G.  A.  Smith),  7.  23-26;  ten  lavers 
or  basins,  on  wheels,  five  to  stand  at  the  north  of  the  temple 
and  five  at  the  south,  7.  27-39.' 

The  temple  was  surrounded  by  a  court  inclosed  by  a  wall. 
The  one  entrance  to  this  court  was  from  the  east  opposite 
the  altar  of  burnt-offering.  The  temple,  with  its  court 
and  wall,  was  inclosed  by  an  outer  court  surrounded  by  a 


iG.  A.   Smith's  Jerusalem.  Vol.   II,  page  62.  ,      .,  . 

iVerses  40-51  contain  a  slightly  different  and  more  detailed  account 
of  Hiram's  works.  This  section  is  somewhat  obscure,  and  the  student 
is  referred  to  Smith's  Jerusalem  and  the  article  "Temple"  in  the 
Encyclopaedia  Britannica  and  Hastings's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible. 


SOLOMOX\S  AND  ISRAELS  RELIGION     159 

wall.  On  the  south,  however,  the  south  wall  of  the  temple 
court  and  the  north  wall  of  the  court  surrounding  the 
palace  were  identical. 

The  Use  of  the  Temple. — Evidently  it  was  not  used  for 
sacrifice.  There  is  no  mention  in  the  earUest  historical 
literature  of  any  altar  of  burnt-offering.  The  summit  of 
the  native  rock  must  have  been  a  ^'high  place"  during  the 
Jebusite  occupancy  of  Jerusalem,  and  it  must  have  c-on- 
tinued  as  a  place  of  sacrifice  through  the  reigns  of  David 
and  Solomon.  The  temple  was  not  a  place  of  assembly  for 
worshipers.  The  building,  with  its  two  apartments,  was 
sacred  to  the  Deitv*.  He  dwelt  within  and  his  worshipers 
offered  their  sacrifices  in  the  court  in  front  of  the  temple. 
It  was  built  to  house  the  Ark,  with  which  Jehovah's  pres- 
ence from  of  old  was  identified.  Read  1  Kings  8.  12-13. 
The  text  here  is  mutilated,  but  the  following  lines  prob- 
ably represent  the  sense  of  the  formula  of  dedication  tised 
by  Solomon.  They  are  taken  from  Skinner^s  commentary 
on  Kings. 

"The  sun  has  Jehovah  set  in  the  heavens; 
He  himself  has  resolved  to  dwell  in  thick  darkness: 
Built  have  I  a  lofty  mansion  for  thee, 
A  place  for  thee  to  dwell  in  for  all  ages." 

The  Septuagint  states  that  this  qtiatrain  was  taken  from 
the  Book  of  Songs.  If  this  Book  of  Songs  is  the  famous 
Book  of  Jashar,  as  has  been  conjectured,  we  have  here 
undoubtedly  a  conception  of  Jehovah  in  Solomon's  day. 
The  lines  furnish  an  explanation  of  the  dark  interior  of 
the  temple.  Although  Jehovah  is  the  Creator  of  the  worid, 
he  dwells  in  the  darkness  of  veiling  clouds.  His  divine 
nature  needs  such  separating  from  men.  The  dark  cham- 
ber of  the  temple  becomes  the  appropriate  earthly  resi- 
dence of  Him  who,  though  separated  from  man  by  meas- 
ureless glory,  deigns  to  enter  into  covenant  relation  with 
him. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  Solomon  did  not  regard 
his  temple  as  later  Israel  came  to  do.  For  its  btiilder  it 
was  not  the  only  legitimate  place  of  worship  in  the  land; 


160  THE  KELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

it  was  simply  the  royal  chapel  and  the  most  splendid  sanc- 
tuary of  the  nation.  Such  a  sanctuary  would  indeed  over- 
shadow the  less  ornate  shrines,  but  the  scattered  high 
places  of  the  land  were  still  legitimate  places  of  worship. 
Yet  in  the  course  of  time  it  came  to  be  regarded  as  the 
sole  place  of  Israel's  worship. 

The  Eeligious  Ideas  of  the  Time 

There  is  not  much  change  in  the  religious  beliefs  and 
practices  of  Israel  during  Solomon's  reign.  We  miss  the 
prophet  of  David's  time  and  find  that  Solombn  has  recourse 
to  the  incubation  of  dreams  to  ascertain  Jehovah's  will. 
We  know  that  the  sacred  lot  was  still  in  use.  It  certainly 
was  a  backward  step  taken  by  the  king  in  the  erection  of 
high  places  for  Chemosh  the  god  of  Moab,  Molech  the  god 
of  Ammon,  and  other  deities  worshiped  by  the  countries 
from  which  he  took  his  various  wives  (1  Kings  11.  8). 
It  is  not  likely  that  Solomon  himself  sacrificed  to  them, 
but  that  their  cults  were  recognized  openly  in  Jerusalem 
certainly  obscured  the  preeminence  of  Jehovah. 

While  there  is  no  evidence  that  the  temple  contained  any 
image  of  Jehovah,  it  did  contain  a  number  of  symbols 
which  may  have  belonged  to  Israel's  worship  of  Jehovah, 
or  which  may  now  have  been  introduced  from  other  cities. 
Such  were  the  great  cherubim  standing  at  either  end  of 
the  Ark,  the  cherubim  carved  upon  the  inner  walls  of  the 
temple,  the  pillars  before  or  in  the  porch  of  the  temple, 
the  twelve  bronze  bulls  and  the  brazen  sea  which  they  bore 
upon  their  backs,  and  the  brazen  serpent  which  hung  in 
the  temple  and  was  worshiped  by  the  Israelites.  All  these 
symbols  in  the  course  of  time  were  discarded  by  the  grow- 
ing spirituality  of  Israel's  worship. 

SUMMAEY 

Solomon  did  little  to  advance  the  religion  of  his  people. 
His  temple,  indeed,  in  later  times  played  a  significant  part 
in  the  religious  life  of  Israel,  but  in  his  own  day  it  meant 
no  enrichment  of  the  nation's  life.  On  the  contrary,  the 
introduction  of  symbolism  into  the  temple  and  the  high 


SOLOMON'S  AND  ISRAEL'S  RELIGION     161 

places  of  foreign  gods  into  Jerusalem  was  a  distinct  re- 
trogression in  Israel's  world-mission.  Solomon's  fame  has 
little  worthy  basis  for  its  support.  His  great  enterprises 
dazzled  the  people  of  his  times,  and  later  ages,  uncritical 
in  method,  forgot  the  meagerness  of  his  services  in  the 
uplift  of  his  people  and  adorned  his  memory  with  fanciful 
pictures  of  greatness. 

Questions  foe  Our  Contemporaeies 

The  duestion  of  Paternal  Wealth. — Great  gifts  to  edu- 
cation, charity,  and  religion  are  quite  common  in  our  times. 
This  is  as  it  ought  to  be.  All  wealth  is  social  in  origin  and 
all  vast  fortunes  in  some  sense  do  belong  to  the  people.  But 
is  this  the  best  method  now  available  for  bettering  the 
conditions  of  the  masses?  Is  it  better  to  gather  together 
a  fortune,  drawing  it  on  the  one  hand  from  low  wages  and 
on  the  other  hand  from  high  prices,  and  then  act  the  wise 
father  to  distribute  this  wealth  for  the  cultural  benefit 
of  the  children?  Or  is  it  better  to  distribute  the  profits 
of  labor  in  higher  wages  or  by  cooperative  methods,  and 
permit  the  children  to  develop  a  trustworthy  manhood  and 
womanhood?  Is  paternalism  in  industry  the  last  word  in 
Christian  economics?  Is  it  really  possible  for  men  to 
build  a  church,  found  a  library,  or  establish  a  college  to 
satisfy  their  conscience  that  the  wealth  so  donated  has 
been  drawn  legitimately  from  the  community?  Solomon 
built  the  temple  by  slave  labor.  Is  it  possible  to  compound 
injustice  by  princely  gifts  to  art,  education,  and  religion  ? 

The  Question  of  Divided  Worship. — Solomon  set  up 
altars  to  Chemosh  and  Molech  as  well  as  to  Jehovah.  This 
was  simply  good  business  with  his  neighbor  as  he  under- 
stood it.  He  wished  alliances  with  his  neighbor  kings. 
He  married  their  daughters.  He  enabled  them  to  exercise 
their  religion.  But  this  divided  worship  alienated  from 
him  the  prophetic  support  and  ended  in  the  division  of  his 
kingdom.  Is  it  the  inevitable  result  of  a  divided  worship 
that  the  things  we  have  cherished  all  perish  ?  Can  an  altar 
to  business  be  erected  in  the  soul  of  the  man  who  wor- 
ships God  ?    Can  the  same  person  sing  hymns  to  militarism 


162  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

and  to  Christ  ?  Can  we  sacrifice  at  two  altars  and  keep  our 
moral  sanity?  What  were  the  words  of  Jesus  concerning 
God  and  Mammon? 

The  Question  of  Wisdom. — ^What  constitutes  wisdom? 
Is  it  not  still,  for  most  persons,  financial  shrewdness? 
Political  shrewdness,  professional  shrewdness — how  fre- 
quently do  these  become  the  substitutes  of  true  wisdom  in 
the  thoughts  of  men!  Yet  an  intellectually  alert  man  is 
not  necessarily  wise.  Wisdom  cannot  be  identified  with 
success.  It  is  not  the  certain  product  of  schools.  It  is 
something  which  is  born  in  the  soul  in  the  midst  of  the 
manysided  contacts  with  life.  It  is  spiritual  vision  and 
moral  willing.  It  is  a  preference  of  character  above  fame, 
purity  of  soul  above  fortune,  peace  of  mind  above  sharpness 
of  mental  powers.  Has  not  the  age  of  mere  intellectualism 
broken  down?  Do  we  not  need  a  new  trust  of  the  spirit? 
Is  there  a  guarantee  of  stable  civilization  other  than  a  pro- 
foundly moral  life  ?  Has  not  the  wisdom  of  Solomon  been 
superseded  by  the  wisdom  of  Jesus  ? 

Themes  foe  Discussion 

1.  Why  did  Solomon,  in  Jewish  tradition,  become  the  ideal 
wise  man? 

2.  What  sort  of  wisdom  did  the  historical  Solomon  possess? 
What  sort  of  wisdom  was  attributed  to  him  by  Jewish  writers? 

3.  To  what  extent  is  a  dream  a  trustworthy  channel  of  di- 
vine revelation? 

4.  What  was  Solomon's  object  in  building  the  temple? 

5.  What  was  its  relation  to  the  palace  buildings? 

6.  To  what  use  was  the  building  put? 

7.  By  what  process  of  thought  could  Solomon  and  other 
ardent  worshipers  of  Jehovah  tolerate  the  presence  of  altars 
erected  on  the  hills  about  Jerusalem  to  non-Israelitish  deities? 

8.  What  changes  in  Israel's  religion  were  inaugurated  by 
Solomon? 

Important  References 

G.  H.  Smith,  Jerusalem,  Volume  II,  pp.  48-82. 
Paton,  Jerusalem  in  Bible  Times,  pp.  77-101. 
Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  Volume  IV,  article  "Tem- 
ple." 

Encyclo'pwdia  Biblica,  columns  4923-4940. 


CHAPTER  XX 
THE  DISRUPTION  OP  THE  KINGDOM 

In  the  last  half  dozen  chapters  it  has  been  stated  re- 
peatedly that  the  monarchy  was  the  political  and  religious 
salvation  of  Israel.  We  come  now  to  the  breakdown  of 
that  united  political  organization  and  to  the  religious 
development  under  the  divided  kingdom.  Our  interest  will 
center  first  in  the  northern  tribes  and  their  story  will  be 
continued  unto  the  fall  of  Samaria  in  721.  Then  we  will 
turn  to  the  southern  kingdom  for  its  histor}'  and  religious 
life.  Henceforth  the  word  "Israel"  will  be  limited  to  the 
northern  kingdom. 

The  division  of  the  empire  of  Solomon  into  two  mon- 
archies was,  of  course,  an  event  of  the  first  magnitude  in 
Hebrew  history.  The  political  autonomy  of  the  two 
divisions  rested  upon  a  variety  of  topographical  and  social 
conditions  which  eventually  differentiated  their  religious 
life.  This  lesson  sets  forth  the  causes  of  the  division  and 
the  bent  given  to  Israel  religiously  and  politically  by  the 
choice  of  an  independent  government. 

The  Northern-  Tribes  Become  an  Independent  King- 
dom :  The  Cause  of  the  Revolt 

Clan  Rivalry. — The  entire  history  of  the  Hebrews  re- 
veals that  the  tribes  gave  their  first  loyalty  to  themselves 
and  their  second  to  the  united  Hebrew  interests.  Read  2 
Samuel  19.  40-43  and  20.  1-22.  Here  toward  the  close 
of  David^s  reign  the  northern  and  southern  tribes  break 
apart.  Absalom's  rebellion  apparently  drew  its  support 
from  Judah  and  David's  loyal  troops  were  chiefly  from 
Israel.  But  David's  secret  overtures  to  Judah  after  the 
death  of  Absalom  in  turn  alienated  Israel  from  him.  Com- 
pare 2  Samuel  20.  1,  2  with  1  Kings  12.  16  and  notice 

163 


164  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

that  the  cry  of  Sheba  and  the  spirit  of  the  northern  tribes 
in  David's  day  are  now  duplicated  at  the  new  crisis. 

^'What  portion  have  we  in  David?  neither  have  we 
inheritance  in  the  son  of  Jesse:  to  your  tents,  0  Israel: 
now  see  to  thine  own  house,  0  David.''  The  northern 
tribes  apparently  could  not  forget  their  own  importance  of 
numbers,  territory,  and  wealth,  and  that  they  had  given 
the  nation  its  first  king.  David,  Solomon,  and  Eehoboam 
were  Judaite  princes,  and  unless  their  personal  merits  won 
the  allegiance  of  the  united  people,  the  northerners  were 
in  no  mood  to  concede  the  leadership  to  the  southern  tribe. 

The  Want  of  External  Pressure. — The  need  of  greater 
defense  against  a  common  enemy  often  has  forced  small 
groups,  commonly  indifferent  or  antagonistic  to  each  other, 
into  united  action.  The  policy  of  George  III  forced  the 
American  colonies  into  a  union  and  eventually  into  a 
nation.  During  Solomon's  reign  the  Hebrews  were  free 
from  harassing  enemies  whose  wars  would  have  necessitated 
the  continuance  of  the  union.  The  Canaanites  had  been 
despoiled  of  their  fortified  cities,  their  inhabitants  reduced 
to  slavery,  and  they  were  already  submerged  or  amalga- 
mated with  the  Hebrews.  The  Philistines  were  under 
Egyptian  control.  It  was  not  in  their  power  to  threaten 
the  fortunes  of  Israel.  Assyria  had  not  yet  begun  her 
western  campaigns  which  were  to  end  in  Israel's  destruc- 
tion. Judah  herself  was  too  limited  in  territory  and  wealth 
to  prove  a  formidable  neighbor.  Thus  there  was  no  im- 
mediate danger  to  force  a  continuance  of  a  discordant 
union. 

The  King's  Administrative  Policy. — The  tyranny  of 
Solomon,  expressed  in  the  forced  labor  of  his  subjects  and 
in  his  own  personal  luxury,  was  another  compelling  element 
toward  disunion.  The  royal  oppression  depicted  in  1 
Samuel  8.  10-18  is  an  underdrawn  study  of  the  actual 
hardships  under  Solomon.  Read  1  Kings  12.  6-11  for  the 
counselors  of  Rehoboam,  trained  in  the  political  school  of 
Solomon.  The  old  men  have  no  ideals  of  government 
existing  for  the  common  welfare;  their  advice  considers 
the  expedient  and  their  goal  is  the  Solomonic  tyranny. 


THE  DISKUPTION  OF  THE  KINGDOM     165 

The  young  bloods  are  for  open  scorn  and  oppression  of 
the  common  people.  In  spite  of  Jeroboam's  fairness,  the 
kings  of  Israel  drifted  into  the  heartless  oppression  which 
these  young  men,  accustomed  to  the  slavery  imposed  by 
Solomon,  unfeelingly  advised  should  be  meted  out  to  the 
common  subjects  of  the  empire. 

The  Monarchy  Not  Yet  Hereditary. — The  Hebrew  king- 
ship could  not  yet  be  said  to  have  become  established  in 
any  family.  Saul  and  David  had  been  elected  to  the  king- 
ship by  the  tribes.  The  effort  to  recognize  the  succession  in 
the  house  of  Saul  was  a  complete  failure.  The  seating  of 
Solomon  upon  the  throne  was  due  more  to  the  resolute  ac- 
tion of  David  and  Joab  than  to  the  fact  that  he  was  David's 
son.  Observe  1  Kings  12.  1-16.  Notice  that  Eehoboam,  who 
was  probably  the  oldest  son  of  Solomon,  apparently  was 
accepted  by  the  men  of  Judah  without  question.  But  the 
northern  tribes  compel  Eehoboam  to  come  to  Shechem 
to  receive  the  formal  allegiance  of  the  people.  This  is 
not  granted  without  bargaining,  and  when  Eehoboam  re- 
jects the  administrative  reforms  proposed  by  the  north- 
ern tribes,  they  refuse  to  make  him  their  king.  The  con- 
sciousness of  an  elective  monarchy  prevails  among  the 
northern  clans. 

International  Politics. — It  will  be  recalled  that  during 
David's  kingship  at  Hebron  the  Philistines  offered  no 
battle  with  the  Hebrews.  When  he  was  made  king  of 
united  Israel  the  enemy  once  more  became  active.  A 
strong  Hebrew  state  meant  the  lessening  of  tribute  to  the 
powerful  overlord.  Solomon's  relations  with  Phoenicia  and 
Egypt  were  intended  by  these  nations  to  secure  to  them- 
selves greater  commercial  advantages.  Psusennes  II,  the 
last  Pharaoh  of  the  Tanite  dynasty,  had  married  his  daugh- 
ter to  Solomon,  1  Kings  9.  16,  in  order  to  strengthen  his 
interests  in  Syria.  Gezer,  which  until  this  time  had  been 
an  independent  Canaanitish  city,  was  captured  by  Pharaoh 
and  given  to  Solomon,  who  rebuilt  the  city.  Jeroboam, 
1  Kings  11.  40,  fled  from  Solomon's  vengeance  into  Egypt. 
If  Jeroboam  married  the  sister-in-law  of  Shisak,  the  first 
Pharaoh  of  the  Libyan  dynasty,  as  1  Kings  12.  24  in  the 


166  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

Septuagint  asserts,  then  there  is  the  strong  presumption 
that  Egypt  was  backing  Jeroboam  in  his  leadership  of  the 
revolt  of  northern  Canaan.  That  the  revolt  of  the  northern 
tribes  was  encouraged  by  Egypt  is  further  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  Shishak  took  the  side  of  Jeroboam  in  his  con- 
tinual wars  with  Judah,  1  Kings  14.  25-28. 

The  Kingship  op  Jekoboam 

He  Wins  the  Kingship  of  Israel. — Jeroboam,  like  Saul 
and  David,  rose  from  obscure  position  to  eminence  in  his 
world.  Later  Judaite  historians,  in  order  to  fasten  op- 
probrium upon  him,  stated  that  his  mother  was  a  leper, 
and  others  said  that  she  was  a  harlot.  Bead  1  Kings  11. 
26-31,  40.  Notice  that  Jeroboam's  ability  is  recognized 
by  Solomon,  and  observe  the  position  to  which  the  king 
advanced  him.  In  the  present  Hebrew  account  it  is  im- 
plied that  the  action  of  Ahijah,  becoming  known  to  Solo- 
mon, led  the  king  to  attempt  to  put  Jeroboam  to  death. 
But  the  Septuagint,  1  Kings  11.  26-28,  indicates  that 
Jeroboam  had  fortified  his  native  town,  Sareira,  or  Zare- 
dah,  and  had  raised  a  force  of  three  hundred  chariots. 
It  is  not  likely  that  Jeroboam's  life  was  endangered  by 
Ahijah's  prediction  alone  or  that  Ahijah  would  have 
selected  a  leader  of  rebellion  who  had  not  already  evi- 
denced characteristics  of  bold  and  independent  action. 
That  Jeroboam  committed  some  overt  act  of  rebellion  is 
indicated  by  the  language  of  1  Kings  11.  26  and  by  the 
fact  that  Shishak  of  Egypt  considered  him  eminent  enough 
for  a  royal  alliance. 

A  comparison  of  the  Septuagint  text  with  our  received 
Hebrew  account  suggests  the  following  order  of  events.  As 
soon  as  Jeroboam,  who  is  in  Egypt,  learns  of  the  death 
of  Solomon,  he  returns  to  Zaredah  and  becomes  at  first 
the  secret  instigator  and  counselor  of  the  northern  tribes. 
At  his  suggestion  the  leaders  of  Israel,  at  their  assembly 
at  Shechem,  1  Kings  12.  1-20,  demand  certain  admin- 
istrative reforms;  when  these  were  refused,  as  Jeroboam 
had  every  reason  to  suppose  they  would  be,  he  became  the 
natural  choice  of  the  northern  tribes  to  rule  their  inde- 


THE  DISRUPTION  OF  THE  KINGDOM     167 

pendent  monarchy.  It  is  not  improbable  that  Jeroboam 
would  have  found  some  pretext,  had  this  request  of  Israel 
been  granted  by  Rehoboam,  to  place  himself  at  the  head 
of  a  north  Canaan  kingdom. 

The  Events  of  His  Reign. — The  Hebrew  historians  give 
few  details  of  Jeroboam's  reign.  Examine  1  Kings  12. 
25-31;  14.  19,  30.  He  made  the  ancient  city  of  Shechem 
his  capital  and  fortified  it  securely.  He  fortified  Penuel 
across  the  Jordan  and  possessed  some  authority  over  the 
trans-Jordan  tribes.  He  greatly  embellished  the  ancient 
sanctuaries  of  the  land.  His  reign  was  a  series  of  strug- 
gles with  Rehoboam,  who  sought  to  force  Israel  again  into 
allegiance.  Jeroboam  evidently  was  the  vassal  of  Egypt, 
and  constantly  sent  tribute  to  his  overlord.  Egyptian  lists 
in  the  temple  of  Amon  at  Karnak  contain  the  names  of 
many  cities  of  Israel  which  paid  tribute  to  Shishak. 

The  Sins  of  Jeeoboam: 

Read  attentively  1  Kings  12.  26-33  and  notice  that  Jero- 
boam is  here  adversely  criticized  for  three  irregularities, 
namely,  the  golden  bulls  at  Dan  and  Bethel,  the  consecra- 
tion of  non-Levites  to  the  priesthood,  and  the  establishment 
of  the  harvest  festival  a  month  later  than  its  observance 
in  Judah  (see  Leviticus  23.  34). 

We  should  consider  whether  this  was  the  spirit  of  the 
times  of  Jeroboam.  The  northern  tribes  were  united  by 
a  sense  of  the  injustice  of  Solomon's  rule  and  by  the  de- 
termination to  secure  a  more  democratic  administration  of 
affairs.  Jeroboam  must  have  voiced  this  spirit  in  order 
to  have  secured  the  suffrage  of  the  people.  His  regulations 
of  worship  must  have  been  directed  by  the  same  spirit  of 
social  democracy.  They  could  have  scarcely  been  acceptable 
had  they  been  religious  innovations  intended  to  alienate 
them  further  from  their  old  beliefs.  Bethel  and  Dan  were 
old  sanctuaries.  The  choice  of  them  as  religious  capitals 
was  no  innovation.  Solomon  had  transformed  an  incon- 
spicuous Canaan itish  shrine  into  the  religious  capital  of 
the  nation  and  adorned  it  with  the  wealth  at  his  command. 
He  had  set  up  golden  bulls  in  the  court  of  the  temple,  1 


168  THE  RELIGION"  OF  ISRAEL 

Kings  7.  25,  29.  The  bull  was  an  ancient  symbol  of 
fertility  and  strength.  Jehovah  is  likened  to  a  wild  bull 
in  Numbers  23.  22  and  24.  8.  In  Babylonia,  figures  of  a 
bull  guarded  the  approach  to  a  temple,  a  house,  a  garden. 
It  was  thought  that  they  prevented  the  entrance  of  evil 
spirits.  The  bull-god  was  one  of  the  chief  Hittite  deities 
in  whose  honor  images  of  bulls  were  dedicated.  He  was 
the  protector  of  the  cultivated  land.  The  surest  evidence 
that  the  people  of  Jeroboam's  day  did  not  regard  him  as 
an  apostate  is  that  these  images  were  not  condemned  by 
Elijah  and  Elisha,  and  that  when  Bethel  fell,  at  times, 
into  the  hand  of  Judah,  the  golden  bull  was  not  disturbed. 
The  answer  to  the  charge  that  Jeroboam  violated  the  reli- 
gious instincts  of  his  day  by  making  priests  of  non-Levites 
is  that  David  made  his  sons  priests,  2  Samuel  8.  18,  and 
Solomon  sacrificed  freely  at  the  high  places,  1  Kings  3. 
4.  Jeroboam  was  only  following  the  example  of  his  pred- 
ecessors. The  change  of  date  of  the  feast  of  ingathering 
was  no  more  than  a  better  adjustment  to  the  needs  of  the 
northern  people.  That  Jeroboam  was  himself  a  Jehovah 
worshiper  is  seen  from  his  consultation  of  the  prophets  of 
his  day,  from  the  name  given  his  son  (Abijah;  that  is, 
"Jehovah  is  father"),  and  from  his  express  statement  in 
setting  up  the  bulls:  "These  are  thy  God,  0  Israel,  who 
brought  thee  up  from  the  land  of  Egypt.'' 

Foe  Fieeside  Meditation 

The  Ways  of  Jehovah. — "It  was  a  thing  brought  about 
by  Jehovah"  is  Israel's  official  historian's  account  of  the 
revolt  of  the  northern  tribes.  It  was  not  an  unjust  request 
which  they  made  of  Solomon.  The  withdrawal  of  the 
northern  tribes  was  in  the  interest  of  greater  social  justice. 
Consciousness  of  divine  direction  of  life  springs  from  the 
awakening  of  new  ethical  convictions.  This  is  ever  the 
soul  of  religious  revelation.  We  will  meet  the  same  experi- 
ence in  the  great  prophets  of  the  eighth  century.  The 
longing  for  social  righteousness  is  a  divine  prompting.  It 
is  a  revelation  of  God's  presence  in  the  thinking  and  willing 
of  the  reformer.    To  do  the  heavenly  Father's  will  is  the 


THE  DISRUPTION  OF  THE  KINGDOM     169 

onty  absolute  guarantee  that  the  individual  shall  know  him. 
Fellowship  with  God  springs  indeed  out  of  ethical  action 
among  men. 

Changing  Morality. — What  is  moral  ?  It  has  been  said 
that  moral  law  is  not  binding  because  there  is  no  unchang- 
ing content  in  the  moral  law.  Jeroboam  was  uncondemned 
by  the  moral  rigorists  of  his  day.  Later  historians  at- 
tributed the  woes  of  Israel  to  his  idolatry.  In  the  course 
of  centuries  new  moral  convictions  have  arisen  concerning 
polygamy,  slavery,  intoxicating  liquors,  disease,  and 
poverty.  The  eternal  thing  is  moral  law.  The  changing 
thing  is  the  content  of  the  moral  ideal.  We  cannot  escape 
the  obligation  to  be  moral.  It  grips  the  savage  and  the 
Christian  scholar.  But  that  which  the  primitive  man 
counts  moral  is  a  world  apart  from  the  ethical  ideal  of  the 
cultured  Christian  of  the  twentieth  century. 

The  Passing  of  Judgment. — It  is  the  historian's  duty  to 
present  the  facts  of  the  age  which  he  describes.  It  is  not 
his  privilege  to  pillory  its  characters  with  the  ideals  of 
later  centuries.  Justice  requires  that  men  shall  be  judged 
in  the  light  of  their  own  times.  They  cannot  be  sentenced 
by  the  moral  convictions  of  a  later  civilization.  Yet  the 
judgment  of  a  man's  contemporaries  is  seldom  other  than 
severe.  The  ideals  of  an  age  always  are  finer  than  its 
actions.  If  we  cannot  win  the  approval  of  the  best  men  of 
our  own  age,  except  in  rare  cases,  our  case  never  will  be 
adjudged  in  our  favor  in  after  times. 

The  Justification  of  Government. — The  men  of  Israel 
felt  rightly  that  the  monarchy  of  Solomon,  unless  it  set 
itself  to  just  acts,  had  better  fail.  Government  has  no 
sacred  privileges  in  itself.  Its  privileges  arise  out  of  the 
faitliful  observance  of  its  duties  toward  its  citizens.  The 
sacredness  of  the  state  is  its  devotion  to  the  common  wel- 
fare. Tyrannous  government  never  is  more  than  a  sub- 
stitute for  genuine  democracy.  To  be  permanent  a  gov- 
ernment must  be  devoted  to  the  common  good.  It  cannot 
build  an  enduring  life  upon  the  advantage  which  it  offers 
to  the  few.  It  is  the  sacred  heritage  of  the  many.  It  must 
add  to  the  average  of  human  opportunity  or  it  must  pass 


170  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

away.    That  government  which  is  the  rule  of  rascals  for 

the  benefit  of  the  rich  must  yield  to  the  government  which 

is  the  rule  of  the  wise  for  the  benefit  of  all.     Civilization 

is  hurrying  rapidly  toward  both  political  and  economic 

democracy. 

Final  Considerations 

1.  Consider  whether  the  disruption  of  the  kingdom  was  not 
inevitable  to  forward  social  justice.  Decide  whether  Jero- 
boam's regulation  of  worship  was  influenced  more  by  political 
or  religious  considerations.    Was  he  a  patriot  or  an  apostate? 

2.  Why  did  the  prophets  of  the  day  encourage  Jeroboam? 
Consider  that  the  prophetic  history  reveals  two  distinct  ele- 
ments, namely,  simplicity  of  worship  unfolding  into  spiritual- 
ity of  thinking  and  conduct,  and  social  justice.  How  would 
the  work  of  Jeroboam  appeal  to  the  prophetic  mind  of  his 
times?  It  should  be  kept  in  mind  that  the  moral  judgments 
expressed  in  certain  portions  of  the  Book  of  Kings  concern- 
ing religious  practices  are  the  convictions  of  an  age  four 
centuries  after  Jeroboam's  day.  They  are  consequently  the 
product  of  a  long  period  of  growth  and  development. 

3.  Think  of  the  possibilities  of  Israel,  with  its  enthusiasm 
for  social  justice,  its  wealth,  its  greater  territory,  its  demo- 
cratic relation  to  the  kingship,  its  religious  conservatism  in 
clinging  to  the  old  high  places  and  adorning  them  with  the 
splendor  of  their  new  ambitions.  Think  of  the  prophetic  in- 
sight which  assured  the  people  that  the  disruption  of  the 
empire  "was  a  thing  brought  about  by  Jehovah,"  and  in  future 
lessons  study  the  tragic  political  and  religious  failure  of  the 
northern  kingship. 

4.  Consider  why  Jeroboam  did  not  advance  the  higher  in- 
terests of  his  people.  He  acquiesced  rather  than  progressed; 
he  was  a  reactionary  in  religion;  his  program,  born,  without 
doubt,  in  patriotic  fervor,  was  a  returning  emphasis  upon  the 
religious  ideas  and  practices  of  the  old  Canaanitish  shrines. 
The  centralization  of  worship,  the  goal  of  a  later  age — the 
impassioned  ideal  of  the  Deuteronomists — was  a  forward  step 
in  the  spiritualization  and  ethicization  of  the  world's  religion. 
Jeroboam's  enrichment  of  the  shrines  of  Israel  was  an  obscura- 
tion of  the  process  which  was  making  for  good  even  under 
the  luxurious  autocracy  of  Solomon. 

Suggested  Readings 

Smith,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  177-182. 

Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  312-325. 

Book  of  Kings  in  the  New  Century  Bible,  pp.  443-446. 

Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bihle,  article,  "Jeroboam." 


CHAPTER  XXI 
A  EELIGIOUS  CRISIS  IN  ISRAEL 

Through  the  period  of  the  united  monarchy,  the  min- 
gling of  the  worship  of  Jehovah  with  Canaanitish  Baalism, 
which  began  in  the  days  of  the  Judges,  continued  until 
many  of  the  beliefs  and  practices  of  the  Canaanites  were 
followed  by  the  Hebrews.  Although  it  is  necessary  to  turn 
to  the  prophets  of  Judah  to  find  the  true  spiritualization 
of  Hebrew  religion,  the  first  advances  in  the  great  prophetic 
triumph  are  to  be  studied  in  the  religioas  history  of  the 
northern  kingdom.  It  was  in  Israel  that  Baalism  received 
its  first  rude  shock  and  that  men's  thoughts  were  turned 
with  new  insight  toward  the  one  spiritual  God.  This  chap- 
ter is  a  study  of  one  of  the  greatest  crises  of  Hebrew  his- 
tory and  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  fathers  of  Hebrew 
religion. 

Israel's  Political  History  from  Jeroboam  to  Ahab 

A  period  of  forty  years  intervenes  between  the  death  of 
Jeroboam  and  the  rise  of  Ahab  to  power,  under  whom  the 
loyalty  of  Israel  was  severely  tested.  Nadab,  the  son  of 
Jeroboam,  reigned  two  years  and  was  slain  by  Baasha. 
Baasha  was  an  energetic  prince  and,  after  having  slain 
all  the  house  of  Jeroboam  and  pushed  his  kingdom  as  far 
as  Ramah,  within  a  few  miles  of  Jerusalem,  and  conducted 
countless  wars  for  years,  he  died  a  natural  death  in  his 
palace  at  Tirzah.  His  son,  Elah,  a  drunkard,  after  a  brief 
rule  of  two  years  was  assassinated  by  Zimri.  In  the  seven 
days  during  which  Zimri  held  his  throne  he  put  through 
a  wholesale  slaughter  of  Baasha's  kinsfolk  and  friends,  and 
then,  being  attacked  by  Omri,  whom  the  army  had  chosen 
king,  withdrew  into  the  citadel  of  his  palace,  set  it  on  fire, 
and  perished  in  the  flames.  Omri  won  his  kingdom  after 
a  period  of  civil  war  with  Tibni.    The  new  king  put  Israel 

171 


172  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

on  the  map.  He  transferred  his  capital  from  Tirzah  to 
Samaria,  which  he  built  and  fortified.  Although  he  was 
forced  to  cede  territory  to  Damascus  and  to  grant  its  mer- 
chants special  privileges  in  his  capital,  1  Kings  20.  34,  he 
held  Moab  in  subjection  and  compelled  an  enormous  trib- 
ute, 2  Kings  3.  4.  Mesha,  king  of  Moab,  on  the  Moabite 
Stone  says  that  "Omri  oppressed  Moab  many  days.^'  Omri 
is  the  first  Israelite  king  to  be  mentioned  in  the  Assyrian 
inscriptions.  From  his  reign  until  the  destruction  of  the 
northern  kingdom,  Israel  was  known  to  the  Assyrian  as 
*^The  Land  of  Omri.^'  Omri's  death  brings  the  political 
history  of  Israel  to  B.  C.  875,  when  Ahab  came  to  the 
throne. 

The  Political  Policies  of  Ahab 

International  Relations. — When  David  pushed  the  bound- 
aries of  Israel  northward  into  Aramaean  territory,  2 
Samuel  8.  3-7,  he  came  into  conflict  with  Damascus.  Dur- 
ing the  reign  of  Solomon,  1  Kings  11.  23-25,  this  same 
Syrian  state  recognized  in  the  Hebrew  nation  its  chief 
obstacle  toward  expansion  southward.  Damascus,  follow- 
ing the  usual  foreign  policy  toward  Palestine,  in  the  reign 
of  Baasha,  15.  18-20,  played  politics  with  the  two  king- 
doms and  became  a  formidable  enemy  of  both  governments. 
From  the  reign  of  Baasha  onward,  until  both  Israel  and 
Damascus  were  conquered  by  Assyria,  the  Aramsean  king- 
dom to  the  north  was  the  terror  of  Israel.  During  the  reign 
of  Omri,  20.  34,  Damascus  won  the  privilege  of  establish- 
ing merchants^  quarters  in  Israelis  capital.  During  the 
reign  of  Ahab,  in  spite  of  his  alliance  with  Tyre,  the 
armies  of  Israel  were  unable  to  hold  the  field  against  the 
troops  of  Damascus,  20.  1,  and  besieged  Samaria.  Ahab, 
however,  was  able  to  inflict  two  severe  defeats  upon  his 
enemy.  But  at  the  last  King  Ahab  perished  in  battle  with 
his  foe,  22.  34,  35. 

It  was  to  strengthen  himself  against  the  Aramaean  king- 
dom of  Damascus  that  Ahab  entered  into  alliance  with 
Tyre.  It  was  his  political  necessity  which  introduced  a 
train  of  evils  into  Israel.    Eead  1  Kings  16.  29-33.    Ahab 


A  RELIGIOUS  CRISIS  IN  ISRAEL  173 

was  pursuing  the  customary  statecraft  of  his  day.  Since 
political  affiliations  were  sealed  by  marriage,  and  marriage 
involved  the  right  of  the  foreigner  to  worship  his  deity, 
Jezebel  brought  with  her  to  Samaria  the  cult  of  Melkart, 
the  Tyrian  baal.  Jezebel  proved  a  queen  in  act  as  well  as 
in  name.  A  woman  of  force  and  initiative,  she  soon  made 
the  worship  of  Melkart  popular  in  court  circles. 

Ahab's  Domestic  Policy.— Read  1  Kings  21.  1-16.  This 
crime  of  Ahab  against  Naboth  was  an  atrocious  act  which 
only  a  ruthless  sovereign  could  carry  through.  The  mean 
subserviency  of  the  elders  of  Jezreel  witnesses  to  the  fear 
with  which  Ahab  and  Jezebel  had  inspired  Israel.  This 
infamous  act  of  Ahab's  could  not  have  been  an  isolated 
instance  of  wrong-doing.  Ahab  refers  to  Elijah,  21.  20, 
in  a  way  which  suggests  that  the  prophet  frequently  had 
raised  his  voice  against  the  king's  unjust  acts.  Note  also 
22.  8.  Was  it  for  similar  outrages  of  Israelitish  democ- 
racy that  Micaiah  never  prophesied  good  of  Ahab  ?  Jezebel, 
the  foreigner,  accustomed  to  the  higher  civilization  of 
Phoenicia,  no  doubt  urged  her  husband  to  many  high- 
handed acts  which  tended  to  arouse  the  democratic  con- 
servatives of  his  kingdom. 

The  Religious  Consequences  of  Ahab's  Political 
Actions 

The  Attack  upon  Tyrian  Baalism. — Tyrian  baalism 
never  became  a  widely  spread  cult.  The  masses  of  the  peo- 
ple were  Jehovah  worshipers  or  else  practiced  the  twofold 
worship  of  the  Canaanitish  baals  and  Jehovah.  Although 
Melkart's  priests  and  prophets  had  become  numerous,  2 
Kings  10.  21,  it  was  quite  possible  for  Jehu  to  exterminate 
them  at  one  blow.  Yet  Jezebel  was  rapidly  making  in- 
roads upon  Israel's  loyalty  to  Jehovah.  The  aggressive 
propaganda  of  the  new  worship  had  gone  far  enough  to 
reveal  to  patriots  like  Elijah  the  danger  which  now  threat- 
ened Israel.  Many  of  Jehovah's  altars  had  been  thrown 
down,  1  Kings  18.  30  and  19.  14,  and  some  of  his  prophets 
had  been  slain.  Elijah  rightly  saw  that  the  king's  policy 
was  carrying  him  farther  than  the  king  himself  was  aware. 


174  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

Ahab  evidently  did  not  intend  to  break  free  from  the  pro- 
phetic support  which  hitherto  had  been  given  the  leaders  of 
the  northern  kingdom.  Eead  attentively  1  Kings  20.  13- 
16,  23,  35-43;  22.  6-28,  and  note  the  dependence  of  Ahab 
upon  the  prophets  of  Jehovah.  Observe  also  the  names 
given  by  Ahab  to  his  children :  Ahaziah,  "he  whom  Jehovah 
supports'^;  Jehoram,  "Jehovah  is  higV;  and  Athaliah, 
"Jehovah  is  great.'^  Surely  Ahab  did  not  intend  to  alienate 
his  people  from  the  worship  of  Jehovah. " 

But,  like  ordinary  individuals,  an  act  performed  in  the 
interests  of  expediency  had  carried  him  farther  than  he 
had  intended  to  go.  It  was  no  ordinary  woman  whom 
Tyre  sent  to  cement  the  Phoenician  alliance  with  Israel. 
Elijah  saw  the  danger  ahead.  The  nation  owed  its  exist- 
ence to  its  loyalty  to  Jehovah.  Disloyalty  to  him  was 
treason  to  the  state.  Melkart  was  a  foreigner  and  to  wor- 
ship him  was  not  only  religious  apostasy  but  also  a  political 
crime.  Therefore  Elijah  challenged  the  king  and  queen 
and  the  latter's  invading  god,  Melkart,  with  the  proclama- 
tion that  Jehovah  alone  ruled  the  land. 

Eead  1  Kings  18.  17-46  for  a  vivid  account  of  the  con- 
test fought  out  on  Mount  Carmel.  By  this  time,  as  the 
next  paragraph  will  show,  Tyrian  baalism  had  precipitated 
the  whole  question  of  the  difference  between  Baalism  in 
general  and  Jehovahism.  The  question  here  raised  by 
Elijah  is  the  question  of  the  lordship  of  the  land.  "Elijah, 
who  championed  the  cause  of  patriotism  and  a  Deity  in 
whom  men  were  beginning  to  find  justice  and  righteous- 
ness, summoned  the  king  of  Israel  and  the  foreign  priests 
whom  he  patronized  into  this  mountain  fastness.  It  was 
no  petty  crisis  in  Israelis  and  the  world's  history.  Crude 
and  cruel,  fiery  and  vengeful,  Jehovah's  representative  may 
have  been,  but  he  turned  Israel  back  from  the  oblivion  of 
her  Semitic  neighbors  and  bequeathed  to  her  the  ethical 
foundation  upon  which  later  prophets  were  to  build  the 
mighty  edifice  of  ethical  monotheism."^ 

Insistence  upon  Social  Justice. — Along  with  Tyrian  baal- 


^Ascbam»  A  Syrian  Pilgrimage,  p.  156. 


A  KELIGIOUS  CEISIS  IN  ISKAEL  175 

ism  there  were  introduced  into  Israel  the  manners  of  the 
wealthy  Phoenician  city-states.  A  standard  of  life  new  to 
Israel  was  set  up  in  Samaria.  That  luxury  of  which  later 
prophets  complained  so  bitterly  and  which  they  denounced 
so  unsparingly  seems  to  have  been  introduced  by  Jezebel. 
Unscrupulous  and  tyrannic  methods  were  used  to  secure 
the  money  which  the  new  manner  of  life  required.  The 
treatment  of  Naboth  was  not  an  isolated  instance  of  the 
royal  government.  The  nation  was  small  and  poor.  The 
military  campaigns  of  Ahab  were  enough  to  exhaust  the 
country.  Sensuality  and  luxury,  indifference  to  the  life 
of  the  commoner,  insolence  and  violence  on  the  part  of 
the  court  were  sure  to  arouse  resentment  and  rebellion 
among  the  democratic  Israelites.  The  prophets,  who  tradi- 
tionally stood  for  just  social  life,  were  sure  to  be  aroused 
by  AhaVs  domestic  policy.  It  was  no  doubt  due  to  his 
acts  of  social  injustice,  as  well  as  to  his  intolerance  of  the 
foreign  baalism,  that  the  prophets  opposed  him  and  came 
under  the  royal  displeasure,  1  Kings  18.  4.  Elijah  was 
the  chief  spokesman  for  that  patriotic  group  which  resented 
the  despotic  methods  of  the  king  and  queen,  and  at  the 
risk  of  life,  he  boldly  challenged,  not  only  the  foreign 
religion,  but  also  the  un-Israelitish  autocracy  of  Ahab  and 
his  court. 

The  bold  stand  of  prophets  like  Elijah  and  Micaiah 
seems  somewhat  to  have  checked  the  king's  unjust  methods. 
Examine  1  Kings  20.  13-22,  35-43 ;  22.  5-14.  Ahab's  for- 
eign policy  in  regard  to  Damascus  was  supported  by  a 
large  body  of  prophets.  Vigorous  support  of  the  king's 
campaigns  against  Benhadad  was  given  by  them.  They 
were  keenly  alive  to  the  necessity  of  the  national  defense 
against  Damascus,  and  some  of  the  prophets,  22.  5-28, 
undoubtedly  condoned  many  acts  of  Ahab  in  order  to  urge 
him  to  a  vigorous  defense  of  the  nation.  The  situation 
revealed  in  the  last  biblical  reference  is  exceedingly  in- 
teresting. Here  we  have  the  beginning  of  the  distinction 
which  we  meet  so  often  in  the  later  literature  between  the 
false  and  the  true  prophet.  These  prophets  who  here  so 
positively  urged  Ahab  to  attack  the  king  of  Syria  are 


176  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

confident  that  Jehovah  will  give  Israel  the  victory.  They 
are  sincere  worshipers  of  Jehovah.  Their  predictions  of 
victory  are  based  upon  Jehovah's  covenant  with  his  people. 
Their  mistake  is  that  they  believe  that  Jehovah's  supreme 
interest  is  the  preservation  of  the  nation.  They  are  certain 
that  Jehovah's  land  will  be  defended  by  Jehovah.  They 
were  sincere  but  they  were  mistaken.  Micaiah  and  Elijah 
boldly  said  that  Jehovah's  supreme  interest  is  not  the 
preservation  of  the  nation  but  the  establishment  and  main- 
tenance of  righteousness  and  justice.  The  king  who  neg- 
lected these  could  be  certain,  not  of  victory,  but  defeat. 
These  two  prophets  are  the  true  successors  of  Nathan  and 
the  forerunners  of  Amos  and  Isaiah.  They  are  setting  up 
a  standard  in  Israel  around  which  true  men  will  rally  until 
the  great  prophets  have  fulfilled  their  task  for  the  Hebrew 
and  the  world. 

The  Effect  upon  Baalism  in  Geneeal 

There  had  been  little  change  of  religious  beliefs  and  prac- 
tices in  Israel  during  the  stormy  kingships  from  Jeroboam 
to  Ahab.  Prophets  there  were,  but  there  was  no  open  pro- 
test against  the  idolatrous,  and  often  licentious,  worship 
at  the  scattered  shrines.  The  high  places,  with  their  altars 
for  sacrifice,  their  Mazzebahs,  or  pillars,  their  Asherahs, 
or  wooden  poles,  and  often  their  Kedeshas,  or  sacred  prosti- 
tutes, were  common  features  of  Israel's  worship.  These 
sanctuaries  were  the  scenes  of  feasting,  drunkenness,  and 
licentiousness.  Jehovah  was  worshiped  at  the  hundreds  of 
altars  of  Israel,  but  the  worship  in  spirit  and  form  was 
almost  wholly  Canaanitish.  The  forms  of  worship  at  these 
altars  of  Jehovah  differed  but  little  from  the  worship  car- 
ried on  at  the  altars  of  the  Tyrian  baal.  Against  this  non- 
Israelitish  worship  the  prophet  Elijah  directed  his  fierce 
antagonism.  His  religious  patriotism  was  aroused  by  this 
foreign  deity,  introduced  by  Jezebel,  who  was  overturning 
not  only  man's  loyalty  to  Jehovah  but  also  the  simple 
manners  and  democratic  ideals  of  justice  and  righteousness 
among  the  people.  The  introduction  of  Tyrian  baalism 
awakened  serious  reflections  upon  the  nature  of  baalism 


A  EELIGIOUS  CRISIS  IN  ISRAEL  177 

and  the  character  of  Jehovah.  A  process  of  moral  revolt 
against  the  crude  and  sensual  worship  of  the  shrines  from 
this  time  on  is  discernible.  Melkarf  s  worship  in  Samaria 
and  the  persecution  of  Jehovah^s  prophets  raised  an  issue 
which  never  again  became  dead  in  Israel,  namely,  Who  is 
truly  God,  Jehovah  or  the  Baals?  That  Jehovah  could 
brook  no  rivals  henceforth  was  a  dogma  of  the  prophets. 
That  no  other  deity  was  worthy  to  stand  beside  him  became 
their  slogan  to  free  the  land  of  the  last  vestige  of  Canaan- 
itish  cults. 

Religion  and  Political  Life 

The  Failure  of  the  Politician. — In  all  ages  there  have 
been  men  who  have  devoted  themselves  to  public  affairs 
not  primarily  for  the  common  welfare  but  for  individual 
advantage.  Political  policies  far  too  often  have  been 
adopted  because  of  some  temporary  gain  or  some  profit 
to  the  rascals  in  control  of  the  government.  Sometimes 
religion  is  enlisted  in  the  service  of  political  schemes  which 
run  counter  to  the  common  good.  The  mere  politician,  the 
individual  who  is  concerned  in  the  triumph  of  his  party 
or  the  social  and  monetary  advantages  which  accrue  from 
position  in  the  State,  soon  or  late  comes  to  ruin.  Mere 
politics  never  can  save  a  party  from  defeat  or  a  state  from 
ruin.  The  pursuit  of  justice  and  righteousness  is  the  only 
guarantee  of  an  enduring  state. 

The  Political  Affiliations  of  Religion. — Religion  never 
lends  itself  to  a  political  or  business  policy.  The  end  of 
religion  is  righteousness,  not  national  or  individual  ag- 
grandizement. Its  party  cry  is  justice,  not  prosperity.  Its 
supreme  loyalty  is  not  to  government,  but  to  God.  Its 
ballot  is  cast  for  the  uplift  of  all  men.  It  seeks  the  defeat 
of  sin,  not  the  sinner.  Religion  is  patriotic;  its  country 
is  humanity.  If  religion  supports  a  nation's  political 
policies,  it  does  so  not  for  the  nation's  good  alone  but  for 
the  good  that  results  for  the  world  out  of  the  nation's 
triumph.  If  righteousness  is  vindicated  and  more  securely 
enthroned,  religion  can  see  a  nation  perish.  It  is  better 
to  die  than  to  live  unworthily.    Religion  is  not  concerned 


178  THE  EELIGIOIST  OF  ISRAEL 

primarily  with  the  forms  of  government.  It  is  the  ends 
served  by  government  which  ever  are  the  grave  concern 
with  religion.    Eeligion  serves  humanity,  not  a  party. 

Self-interest  and  Religion. — To  the  simpler  living  Israel- 
ites Tyrian  baalism  was  the  religion  of  despots.  Its  in- 
troduction into  Israel  was  solely  in  the  interest  of  Jezebel 
and  Ahab,  and  the  new  religion  encouraged  outrageous 
violations  of  human  justice.  Perhaps  it  was  this  royal 
tyranny,  seemingly  encouraged  by  the  Tyrian  worship, 
which  aroused  the  antagonism  of  the  keener-visioned 
prophets.  Self-interest  never  gave  any  permanent  validity 
to  a  message  of  religion.  The  founder  of  a  new  faith  must 
not  grow  wealthy.  He  who  does  not  spare  himself  carries 
within  his  very  selflessness  an  authentication  of  his  appoint- 
ment to  the  post  of  divine  messenger.  It  takes  a  cross  to 
give  credence  to  a  savior.  He  who  gives  little  helps  little. 
He  who  advocates  new  ways  of  life  must  have  been  a 
pathfinder.  The  evangelist  who  seeks  disciples  for  Christ 
must  be  able  to  say,  ^'Come.^'  The  Jezebels  and  Ahabs 
soon  or  late  perish  miserably. 

Finals 

1.  Sketch  the  character  of  Jezebel,  Ahab,  Elijah,  and 
Micaiah. 

2.  Discuss  the  nature  of  the  worship  at  the  altars  of  Israel 
in  the  days  of  Elijah. 

3.  What  was  Ahab's  foreign  policy? 

4.  What  constituted  for  Elijah  the  offensiveness  of  Tyrian 
baalism? 

5.  To  what  extent  did  the  worship  of  Melkart  silence  the 
worship  of  Jehovah? 

6.  Why  could  Ahab  secure  for  his  campaigns  against 
Damascus  the  approval  of  so  many  prophets  of  Israel? 

7.  Discuss  the  value  of  Elijah's  services  in  behalf  of  the 
developing  kingdom  of  God. 

Material  fob  Additional  Study 

W.  R.  Smith,  The  Prophets  of  Israel,  pp.  76-87. 
Budde,  Religion  of  Israel  to  the  Exile,  pp.  112-120. 
Kent,  Biblical  Geography  and  History,  pp.  168-175. 
Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  Volume  V,  pp.  654-657, 
Volume  I,  article,  "Elijah." 


CHAPTEE  XXII 
THE  REVOLUTION  UNDER  JEHU 

Two  sons  of  Ahab  reach  the  throne  before  Jehu,  by  a 
series  of  murders,  stamps  forever  into  Israel's  life  the 
great  contention  of  Elijah  that  there  can  be  but  one  God 
in  Israel.  Ahaziah  and  Jehoram  wield  the  scepter  of  the 
northern  kingdom  from  853  to  842.  Both  of  them  are 
of  little  interest  in  the  story  of  Israel's  religion.  The 
prophets,  under  the  dominance  of  Elijah  and  Elisha,  gave 
them  little  support.  The  religious  history  of  Israel  con- 
tinues the  Elijah  chapter  in  the  political  activities  of  Jehu, 
who  came  to  the  throne  in  842  and  kept  his  empire  thirty- 
eight  years. 

The  Political  Acts  of  Jehu 

Jehu  Ascends  the  Throne  of  Israel. — Read  2  Kings  9. 
1-6,  11-13.  It  was  in  an  attempt  to  take  Ramoth-Gilead 
from  the  Syrian  king  that  Ahab  lost  his  life.  In  subse- 
quent campaigns  the  troops  of  Israel  appear  to  have  taken 
the  city.  But  the  Syrians,  under  Hazael,  their  king,  laid 
siege  to  the  place  and  in  battle  with  him  Joram,  the  son 
of  Ahab,  was  wounded.  The  army,  under  the  command  of 
Jehu,  continued  the  campaign.  It  was  at  this  juncture  that 
the  hostility  against  the  policies  of  Ahab,  which  were  con- 
tinued by  his  sons  and  by  Jezebel,  the  queen  mother,  broke 
forth  under  the  leadership  of  the  prophets.  Evidently, 
the  men  who  had  rallied  under  the  bold  action  of  Elijah 
and  were  imbued  with  his  ideas  could  count  upon  the  loyal 
Israelite  character  in  Jehu.  Such  choices  are  seldom  made 
on  the  spur  of  the  moment.    Jehu's  daring  was  well  known, 

9.  20;  he  had  kept  in  touch  with  prophetic  circles,  9.  36; 
and  his  opposition  to  the  foreign  customs  was  well  known, 

10.  15.     Note  the  manner  in  which  the  decision  of  the 
prophets  is  carried  to  Jehu.    To  what  extent  is  the  prompt 

179 


180  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

acceptance  by  Jehu's  captains  of  his  proclaimed  kingship 
an  index  of  the  new  king's  leadership  ?  What  further  evi- 
dence of  his  fitness  for  royal  office  is  seen  in  9.  15  ?  in  9. 
16-20  ?  State  the  series  of  murders  by  which  Jehu  seated 
himself  on  the  throne,  9.  21-28,  30-37;  10.  1-11,  12-14,  17. 
Were  these  crimes  a  political  necessity?  What  precedents 
had  Jehu  for  his  policy  of  extermination  ? 

The  Destruction  of  the  Followers  of  Melkart. — Observe 
Jehu's  alliance  with  the  Rechabite  faction,  10.  15-16.  The 
religious  significance  of  this  will  be  discussed  later.  It  is 
an  evidence  both  of  the  religious  enthusiasm  and  political 
sagacity  of  Jehu.  Jehu  says  to  Jehonadab  (following  the 
Septuagint),  "Is  thy  heart  honestly  with  my  heart,  as  my 
heart  is  with  thy  heart?"  "It  is,"  said  Jehonadab.  And 
Jehu  said,  "If  it  be,  give  me  thy  hand."  And  Jehonadab 
gave  Jehu  his  hand,  and  Jehu  took  him  up  into  his  chariot, 
and  said,  "Come  with  me  and  see  my  zeal  for  Jehovah." 

State  the  details  of  Jehu's  destruction  of  the  Tyrian 
baalism,  10.  18-28.  Could  the  followers  of  Baal  have 
been  deceived  by  Jehu's  pretense  after  his  wholesale  mur- 
ders? Or  did  they  hope  that  a  ready  compliance  with  his 
demands  might  avert  something  of  his  wrath?  Observe 
that  Baalism,  like  Jehovahism,  has  its  prophets,  priests, 
sacred  festivals,  sacred  garments  to  be  worn  at  the  sanc- 
tuaries, and  a  sacrificial  system  similar  to  that  practiced 
at  the  altars  of  Jehovah.  Observe  that  Jehu,  like  former 
Hebrew  kings,  assumes  the  right  of  offering  sacrifices. 
The  priests  of  Baal  saw  no  infringement  of  their  rights  in 
this  royal  assumption  of  sacrificial  privileges.  In  addition 
to  the  slaughter  of  the  followers  of  Baal,  what  further 
measures  were  taken  by  Jehu?  What  would  be  the  effect 
upon  the  nation  of  this  prompt  and  determined  destruc- 
tion of  the  adherents  of  the  Tyrian  baal? 

Jehu's  Political  Alliances. — The  foreign  policy  of  Israel 
was  affected  by  Jehu's  suppression  of  Phoenician  baalism 
in  his  kingdom.  His  murder  of  Jezebel  ended  Israel's 
alliance  with  Tyre.  To  protect  himself  against  Damascus, 
Jehu,  in  B.  C.  842,  became  the  vassal  of  Assyria.  Ahab, 
either  as  the  vassal  or  the  ally  of  Damascus,  suffered  defeat 


THE  EEVOLUTION  UNDER  JEHU  181 

along  with  other  Syrian  states  at  Karkar  in  854  B.  C.  The 
Assyrian  forces  at  this  time  were  not  able  to  subdue  Damas- 
cus and  this  Aram^an  state  not  only  remained  inde- 
pendent but  also  retained  its  suzerainty  over  Israel.  It  is 
not  improbable  that  Jehu  was  aided  in  his  revolution  by 
Assyrian  influence.  At  least,  the  prophets  who  supported 
Jehu  may  have  determined  to  seek  an  alliance  with  Assyria 
against  Damascus.  The  prophets  of  this  period  were  in- 
tensely patriotic  and  were  ready  to  take  any  steps  which 
made  for  the  aggrandizement  of  their  native  kingdom. 
The  Black  Obelisk  inscription  of  Shalmaneser  II,  now  in 
the  British  Museum,  bears  witness  to  Jehu's  submission. 
It  represents  in  relief  Shalmaneser  receiving  the  tribute 
of  Jehu  and  bears  the  inscription,  "Tribute  of  Jehu,  son 
of  Omri — objects  of  silver  and  gold,  bars  of  silver,  bars 
of  gold,  a  golden  bowl,  a  golden  ladle,  golden  goblets, 
golden  pitchers,  bars  of  lead,  a  scepter  for  the  king,  shafts 
of  spears — these  I  received.''  This  campaign  and  another 
made  by  the  same  monarch  three  years  later  so  reduced 
Damascus  that  Israel  was  relieved  for  a  number  of  years 
from  Syrian  aggression.  This  peace  must  have  justified 
Jehu's  revolution  in  the  minds  of  his  subjects.  But  to- 
ward the  end  of  Jehu's  reign,  Damascus  recovered  from 
her  Assyrian  calamities  and  again  encroached  upon  Israel. 
Eead  2  Kings  10.  32,  33. 

The  terror  of  the  cruel  ravages  perpetuated  by  Hazael 
long  remained  with  Israel,  8.  12,  and  these  brutalities  drew 
from  Amos,  1.  3-5,  the  assertion  that  the  capture  of 
Damascus  by  the  Assyrians  was  Jehovah's  punishment  of 
Hazael's  ruthless  crimes  in  Israel.  The  attitude  of  the 
prophets  who  raised  Jehu  to  the  throne  is  reflected  in  2 
Kings  13.  5.  Assyria  in  this  early  period  was  considered 
the  divinely  given  ally  of  Israel.  The  prophets  who  rallied 
around  Elisha  did  not  foresee  the  unsparing  conquering 
genius  of  Assyria. 

Jehu's  Advisers 

The  Prophets. — It  will  be  recalled  that  the  earliest  his- 
torical appearance  of  the  prophets  is  in  connection  with 


182  THE  EELIGIOlSr  OF  ISEAEL 

the  patriotic  uprising  under  Saul.  From  time  to  time 
they  have  appeared  in  Hebrew  life.  They  were  the  chief 
supporters  of  Jehovah,  whom  Jezebel  thought  it  expedient 
to  hunt  down  and  slay.  They  rallied  around  Ahab  in  his 
campaigns  against  Damascus.  Now  they  take  the  initia- 
tive in  raising  Jehu  to  the  throne.  These  early  prophets 
did  not  have  the  moral  and  spiritual  views  of  Amos  and 
his  great  successors,  through  whom  ethical  monotheism 
was  given  to  the  world.  They  did  not  lead  primarily  by 
the  unanswerable  logic  of  ethical  requirements  in  the  name 
of  religion,  but,  rather,  by  a  frenzied  enthusiasm  which 
rendered  the  dominating  idea  or  purpose  of  the  moment 
invincible.  Saul's  patriotic  ambition  to  free  his  land  from 
the  Philistine  was  given  divine  approval,  in  his  mind  and 
in  the  thought  of  his  countrymen,  by  the  spiritual  exalta- 
tion which  he  expressed  in  the  company  of  prophets  who 
at  the  moment  were  passing  through  an  intense  upheaval 
of  their  consciousness. 

It  was  this  group  of  men,  intense  patriots,  passionately 
jealous  for  the  worship  of  Jehovah,  and,  largely  because 
they  themselves  were  from  the  ranks  of  the  humbler  He- 
brews, quick  to  feel  the  wrongs  done  to  the  commoner  by 
unscrupulous  and  luxury-loving  nobles  and  kings,  who 
opened  the  way  for  Jehu's  seizure  of  the  kingship  of  Israel. 
Examine  1  Kings  19.  16  and  2  Kings  9.  1-6.  Consider 
how  great  must  have  been  the  prophetic  loyalty  to  Israel 
and  loyalty  to  Jehovah  to  give  this  group  of  men  such  lead- 
ership in  the  politics  of  the  kingdom.  Why  were  the 
prophets  antagonistic  to  the  dynasty  of  Ahab?  Why  did 
they  choose  Jehu  as  their  political  leader?  Examine  care- 
fully 2  Kings  9.  25 ;  1  Kings  21.  17-20,  23,  and  state  to 
what  extent  Jehu  had  the  prophetic  warrant  for  his  crimes. 
What  reason  did  Jehu  give  to  Joram  for  the  rebellion? 
2  Kings  9.  22.  See  also  10.  10  for  further  evidence  of 
prophetic  support.  Consider  all  the  evidence,  and  state 
whether  Jehu  was  a  mere  politician  or  whether  he  believed 
himself  the  instrument  of  Jehovah  at  a  great  crisis  in 
Israel. 

Note  the  presence  of  these  prophetic  guilds,  or  com- 


THE  EEVOLUTION  UNDER  JEHU         183 

munities,  2  Kings  2.  3-5;  4.  38-44;  6.  1-7.  They  were 
hotbeds  of  patriotism  and  Jehovahism.  They  condemned 
political  traffic  with  Damascus,  1  Kings  20.  35-43.  They 
encouraged  the  political  ambition  of  the  Hebrew  princes, 
2  Kings  3.  11,  and  in  spite  of  his  antagonism  to  Jehoram, 
son  of  Ahab,  Elisha  gives  his  fullest  support  to  the  cam- 
paign for  the  reduction  of  Moab,  3.  13-25.  These  prophets 
of  the  type  of  Elijah  and  Elisha  were  in  full  sympathy 
with  Jehu.  The  prophetic  attitude  of  the  day  is  given  in 
2  Kings  10.  30,  '^And  Jehovah  said  unto  Jehu,  Because 
thou  hast  done  well  in  executing  that  which  is  right  in 
mine  eyes,  and  hast  done  unto  the  house  of  Ahab  according 
to  all  that  was  in  my  heart,  thy  sons  of  the  fourth  genera- 
tion shall  sit  on  the  throne  of  Israel.^' 

The  Rechabites. — There  was  another  class  of  ardent 
Jehovahists  in  Israel  at  this  time,  the  Rechabites.  Ex- 
amine 2  Kings  10.  15-17,  23.  It  is  tantalizing  that  the 
historians  of  this  period  have  not  given  us  an  account  of 
the  beliefs  and  life  of  this  important  group  in  Israel. 
Jonadab,  the  son  of  Rechab,  is  an  influential  person.  He 
was  in  hearty  sympathy  with  Jehu  and  therefore  was  a 
determined  opponent  of  the  luxurious  despotism  of  the 
court  of  Ahab  and  of  the  foreign  baalism  brought  in  by 
Jezebel.  The  importance  of  these  allies,  represented  by 
Jonadab,  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years  later  there  appears  in  Judah  a  sect,  with  clearly 
defined  principles  and  habits  of  life,  which  traces  its 
origin  to  the  Jonadab  who  supported  Jehu's  revolution. 
Read  Jeremiah  35.  1-11.  Here  the  Rechabites  are  men 
who  have  renounced  the  civilized  life  of  Canaan.  They  live 
in  tents,  they  own  no  land,  they  plant  no  fields,  they  culti- 
vate no  vineyards.  They  are  not  agriculturists,  but  shep- 
herds. Like  the  patriarchs,  they  move  from  place  to  place. 
They  Jived  like  the  Bedouins  to-day.  From  1  Chronicles 
2.  55  we  learn  that  these  Rechabites  were  descendants  of 
the  Kenites  among  whom  Moses  dwelt  and  from  whom 
he  learned  the  worship  of  Jehovah. 

Here,  then,  in  the  midst  of  the  struggle  against  a 
foreign  baalism,  a  distinct  conception  of  Jehovah's  require- 


184  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

ments  appears ;  a  conception  quite  antagonistic  to  the  popu- 
lar Jehovahism  of  Jehu's  day.  For  it  is  ahnost  certain 
that  the  views  held  by  the  Eechabites  in  Jeremiah's  times 
were  the  views  of  Jonadab  and  his  associates.  Nor  is  it 
likely  that  either  Jonadab  or  his  father  Eechab  was  the 
originator  of  these  views.  They  evidently  trace  back  to 
the  Kenites  who  accompanied  the  Hebrews  into  Palestine, 
but  who  continued  to  live  their  nomadic  life  in  southern 
Judah.  From  time  to  time  some  of  them  pitched  their 
tents  in  other  portions  of  the  land. 

"Blessed  of  women  shall  Jael  be, 
The  wife  of  Heber  the  Kenite; 
Blessed  shall  she  be  among  women  in  the  tent.*' 

(Judges  5.  24). 

Far  north,  in  the  days  of  the  Judges,  some  of  these 
nomads  wandered,  and  it  must  have  been  their  descendants 
who  witnessed  with  approval  Jehu's  zeal  for  the  older  ideals 
of  Israel.  To  these  tent-dwellers,  these  Kenites  who  felt 
themselves  the  true  representatives  of  the  original  Je- 
hovahism, the  tendency  toward  luxury  and  the  foreign 
baalism  alike  were  things  of  evil.  But  more  than  this, 
they  were  antagonistic  to  the  popular  Jehovahism  of  their 
day.  For  the  worship  of  Jehovah  had  taken  over  so  much 
of  the  Canaanitish  beliefs  and  practices  that  the  Jehovah- 
ism of  the  .wilderness  of  Sinai  had  become  baalized.  We 
shall  meet  this  contention  again  and  again  in  the  later 
prophets.  This  baalizing  of  primitive  Jehovahism  was 
the  natural  sequence  of  the  change  from  a  pastoral  to  an 
agricultural  life.  The  Eechabites  were  correct  in  their 
assertion  that  the  original  Jehovahism  was  a  simpler  wor- 
ship. But  they  were  mistaken  in  their  contention  that  Je- 
hovah was  now  commanding  the  abandonment  of  an  agri- 
cultural and  commercial  civilization  for  the  simple  man- 
ners of  shepherd  tent-dwellers.  It  is  intensely  interesting 
to  note  that  in  the  midst  of  the  social  and  religious  changes 
which  followed  the  settlement  in  Canaan  a  group  of  He- 
brews clung  persistently  through  the  centuries  to  the  primi- 
tive beliefs  and  habits  of  the  Mosaic  period. 


THE  EEVOLUTION  UNDEE  JEHU         185 

The  Eeligious  Significance  of  the  Eevolution 

To  understand  the  meaning  of  the  Elijah-Jehu  revolu- 
tion, it  is  necessary  to  keep  in  mind  the  nature  of  Israel's 
Jehovah  religion  in  their  day;  the  latter  half  of  the  ninth 
century.  When  the  Hebrews  entered  Palestine  they  re- 
garded Jehovah  as  a  mountain  God  whose  seat  was  Sinai 
or  Horeb.  He  left  his  home  to  lead  his  adopted  people  into 
their  new  dwelling  place.  But  he  kept  his  residence  at 
Horeb,  coming  to  Israel's  succor  in  time  of  need.  See 
Judges  5.  4;  Deuteronomy  33.  2;  Habakkuk  3.  3;  1  Kings 
19.  8.  These  references  witness  that  this  conception  of 
Jehovah's  dwelling  place  continued  late  in  Israel's  history. 
Jehovah  was  also  a  God  of  war,  Numbers  10.  35 ;  1  Samuel 
25.  28,  and  many  similar  references.  Exodus  19,  Judges 
5.  4-6,  and  1  Kings  19.  11-12  indicate  also  that  Jehovah 
was  a  storm  God.  Thus  the  earlier  conceptions  of  Jehovah 
did  not  readily  adjust  themselves  to  an  agricultural  life 
and  explain  the  restrictions  placed  upon  the  Eechabites. 

The  Hebrews,  on  entering  upon  agricultural  life  in  Pales- 
tine, found  a  numerous  group  of  baals  or  local  deities  rever- 
enced throughout  the  land.  These  were  regarded  as  lords 
of  the  land,  the  source  of  its  fertility,  and  the  givers  of  all 
the  good  things  of  life.  See  Hosea  2.  8-13,  17.  The  places 
of  worship  usually  were  hilltops.  In  many  places  there 
were  shrines  with  images  of  the  deity.  In  all  cases  there 
were  an  altar,  an  Asherah,  or  wooden  pole,  and  a  Mazzebah, 
or  stone  pillar.  Sacrifice  was  the  method  of  worship.  Great 
festivals,  including  sacrifice,  were  held,  and  these  were  ;the 
scenes  often  of  drunkenness  and  sacred  prostitution. 
By  the  time  of  Elijah,  the  worship  of  Jehovah  was  estab- 
lished at  the  leading  shrines,  and  he  had  become  the  God 
of  the  land.  But  his  worship,  no  longer  the  simple  worship 
of  the  wilderness,  had  taken  on  some  of  the  characteristics 
of  the  Baal  worship  of  the  old  sanctuaries. 

Tyrian  baalism  scarcely  differed  in  ideas  and  practices 
from  the  Canaanitish  baalism  or  from  the  baalism  actuall}' 
going  on  under  the  name  of  Jehovah  worship.  But  it  was  a 
foreign  baalism.    It  was  a  question  whether  a  foreign  god, 


186  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

the  Baal  of  Tyre,  should  come  into  Jehovah's  land  and 
usurp  his  sovereign  rights.  It  was  this  Tyrian  baalisni, 
and  not  the  baalism  actually  practiced  in  the  name  of 
Jehovah,  which  was  uprooted  by  Jehu. 

The  Case  for  Surgery 

The  Evils  of  Pacifism. — The  injunction  "Resist  not 
evil''  is  eminently  sound  in  the  sphere  of  life  under  con- 
sideration when  the  principle  was  uttered.  In  those  small, 
intimate,  personal  circles  where  individuals  live  in  con- 
tinuous relationships,  a  militaristic  spirit  provokes  con- 
fusion and  ruin.  The  nonresistant  spirit  eventually  be- 
comes the  conqueror.  But  in  those  larger  areas  of  life, 
where  mutual  intimate  knowledge  of  opponents  is  impos- 
sible, and  where  personal  relationships  are  lost  sight  of  in 
abstract  ideas  to  be  defended,  what  results  for  human 
betterment  can  the  mere  pacifist  obtain?  Tyrian  baalism 
was  making  headway  in  Israel.  What  would  a  nonresistant 
attitude  have  done  to  succor  the  threatened  democracy  and 
religion  of  Israel?  What  would  mere  talking  have  accom- 
plished? In  our  Civil  War  times  the  abolitionists  did  a 
vast  deal  of  talking.  It  took  the  action  of  men  like  John 
Brown  and  the  firmness  of  generals  like  Grant  and  Sher- 
man to  wipe  out  the  stain  of  Negro  slavery.  Pacifism, 
when  it  gets  results,  is  better  than  militarism. 

The  Righteousness  of  Militarism. — In  an  ideal  state 
Jehu's  acts  would  have  been  abominable.  But  in  an  ideal 
Hebrew  state  there  would  have  been  no  Jezebel.  In  an 
ideal  civilization  there  would  have  been  no  world-war.  But 
in  a  perfect  world-order  there  would  be  no  state  animated 
by  a  Nietzschean  philosophy.  Within  the  boundaries  of  a 
democratic  state  there  is  no  necessity  for  an  appeal  to  arms. 
The  form  of  political  life  offers  sufiicient  opportunities 
for  social  change.  But  in  a  world  whose  states  have  no 
all-embracing  democratic  fellowship  and  no  federated  gov- 
ernment, each  nation  needs  to  carry  arms.  An  aggressive, 
destructive  spirit,  in  the  presence  of  pernicious  evils,  is 
the  essence  of  Christianity.  To  serve  the  common  welfare 
is  to  destroy  those  wrongs  which  fatten  upon  the  common 


THE  EEVOLUTION  UNDER  JEHU         187 

life.  There  are  evils  so  atrocious  that  they  must  be 
stamped  out  of  society  at  any  cost  to  the  promoters  of 
evil.  There  is  an  eternal  difference  between  bad  and  good, 
and  when  the  good  ceases  to  be  militant  it  has  lost  the 
salt  of  its  goodness. 

The  Remedy  for  Evil. — There  are  reformers  who  wish 
to  osteopath  unrighteousness.  Surgery  is  better.  "If  thy 
right  hand  causeth  thee  to  stumble,  cut  it  off."  Such  was 
the  admonition  of  the  perfect  Teacher.  To  better  the 
world  thus  far  has  been  a  militant  task.  It  has  taken  sacri- 
fice, unrelenting  idealism,  courage  unto  death.  Jehu  is 
one  of  those  characters  who  appear  in  times  of  great  crises 
to  do  the  rough  work  which  the  age  seems  to  demand.  He 
did  a  great  work  in  the  spirit  and  method  of  a  ruthless 
savage.  Yet  he  was  one  of  the  men  who  gave  the  world  its 
best  religion.  Great  evils  require  heroic  remedies.  Do  you 
know  of  any  better  remedy  for  festering  sin  than  surgery  ? 

Testing  Insight 

1.  Why  were  the  prophets  antagonistic  to  the  dynasty  of 
Ahab? 

2.  Why  did  the  Jehu  and  his  generals  accept  so  readily  the 
prophet's  appointment  of  Jehu? 

3.  What  was  the  policy  of  these  revolutionaries  toward  Tyre, 
Damascus,  and  Assyria? 

4.  What  was  the  character  of  the  popular  Jehovahism  of 
Jehu's  day? 

5.  To  what  extent  did  the  Rechabites  influence  the  develop- 
ment of  Hebrew  religion? 

6.  Why  is  there  no  reference  to  the  attitude  of  Israelitish 
priests  during  these  crucial  times? 

Useful  Abditional  Reading 

Encyclopwdia  Biblica,  articles,  "Baal"  and  "Jehu." 
Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bille,  articles,  "Baal,"  "Jehu." 
Smith,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  198-202. 
Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  395-402. 


CHAPTEE  XXIII 
THE  ISKAEL  KNOWN  TO  AMOS  AND  HOSEA 

This  chapter  carries  the  story  of  the  development  of 
Israel's  religion  to  the  threshold  of  that  great  period  in 
Hebrew  and  world  history,  in  which  Amos  and  his  suc- 
cessors formulated  the  conception  of  ethical  monotheism. 
In  order  to  understand  this  new  development  in  religion 
it  is  necessary  to  know  the  social  conditions  of  the  Hebrew 
state  in  the  midst  of  which  the  new  insight  into  the  nature 
and  requirements  of  Deity  arose. 

The  Political  Histoey  of  Israel  from  814  B.  C.  to 
785  B.  C. 

The  immediate  political  history  after  Jehu's  revolution 
did  not  justify  the  political  policy  of  the  prophets  who 
had  supported  the  revolution.  It  was  near  the  close  of 
Jehu's  reign  that  Syria  began  again  to  move  against  Israel.. 
Under  Hazael  her  king,  her  borders  extended  across  the 
East  Jordan  country  as  far  south  as  the  Arnon.  Jehoahaz, 
son  of  Jehu,  came  to  the  throne  of  Israel  in  814  and  reigned 
until  797.  Eead  2  Kings  13.  3,  7  for  the  grievous  state 
into  which  Israel  fell  through  the  aggressive  campaigns 
of  Damascus,  during  the  seventeen  years  of  his  reign.  See 
Amos  1.  3  for  a  hint  of  the  cruelty  and  rigor  of  Syria's 
1  dominancy  of  Israel  at  this  time.  This  grievous  condition 
of  the  northern  kingdom  undoubtedly  was  a  serious  con- 
fusion to  the  prophetic  guilds.  They  knew  naught  else 
to  say  than  "The  anger  of  Jehovah  is  kindled  against 
Israel."  They  knew  not  why.  It  remained  for  Amos  and 
Hosea  to  reveal  Jehovah's  apparent  abandonment  of  his 
people. 

Jehoash  succeeded  his  father,  Jehoahaz,  in  B.  C.  797, 
and  reigned  until  B.  C.  781.  During  his  reign  the  Syrian 
wars  continued,  but  Israel,  through  the  enfeeblement  of 

188 


ISRAEL  KNOWN  TO  AMOS  AND  HOSEA   189 

Damascus,  was  able  to  recover  some  of  the  territory  lost  by 
Jehoahaz.  Just  previous  to  this  king's  reign  the  Assyrians 
made  a  western  campaign  and  reduced  Damascus  to  vas- 
salage. Rammannirari  III,  the  Assyrian  monarch  who 
led  the  Assyrian  forces,  although  he  compelled  Israel  to 
pay  tribute,  was  regarded  by  the  Israelites  as  their  divinely 
sent  Saviour,  2  Kings  13.  5.  The  death  of  Hazael  and  the 
succession  of  a  weaker  king,  13.  24,  25,  also  contributed 
to  the  increasing  power  of  Israel. 

The  Brilliant  Reign  of  Jeeoboam  II,  782-743  B.  C. 

Read  2  Kings  14.  23-29.  Note  the  boundaries  of  Israel 
under  Jeroboam.  Hamath  was  a  Hittite  city  on  the 
Orontes  River.  Twice  before,  under  David  and  Solomon, 
did  the  Hebrew  kingdom  extend  so  far.  The  Sea  of  the 
Arabah  is  the  Dead  Sea.  These  were  ideal  limits  of  the 
land,  Amos  6.  14.  It  is  not  improbable  that  Jeroboam's 
kingdom  included  the  whole  of  Moab.  This  extended  king- 
dom was  possible  because  the  Assyrians  were  pressing 
heavily  against  Damascus.  It  was  not  only  a  brilliant 
political  period,  but  it  also  was  a  time  of  rapidly  increas- 
ing wealth  and  luxury,  due  to  trade  and  to  the  tribute  of 
subjugated  cities.  Examine  Amos  3.  12,  15;  4.  9;  5.  11; 
6.  4-6,  for  the  impression  which  the  prosperity  of  the  north- 
ern kingdom  made  upon  Amos.  These  utterances  belong 
to  the  years  765  and  750. 

National  Prosperity. — Although  one  is  to  expect  from  a 
countryman  exaggerated  notions  of  the  luxury  of  cities, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  at  this  period  Israel  was  prosperous, 
and  with  prosperity  came  the  extravagant  luxury  which 
usually  is  introduced  by  the  newly  rich.  Amos  cites  as 
evidence  of  the  luxury  houses  built  of  hewn  stone,  winter 
palaces  and  summer  palaces,  multitudes  of  gardens,  richest 
vineyards,  splendid  orchards  of  figs  and  olives,  beds  in- 
laid with  ivory,  silver  hangings,  couches  for  reclining  at 
table,  costly  perfumes,  and  expensive  viands.  The  nation 
has  become  commercialized.  The  merchants  can  ill  brook 
the  observance  of  the  holy  days  upon  which  no  markets 
are  held. 


190  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

Social  Injustice. — But  this  outwardly  brilliant  reign  was 
cursed  with  increasing  social  wrongs.  Amos  draws  a  dark 
picture.  The  palaces  of  the  rich,  because  of  their  violent 
conduct  and  dishonest  oppression,  are  but  storehouses  of 
violence  and  robber}^,  and  these  evils  are  so  flagrant  that 
they  must  attract  the  attention  of  surrounding  nations, 
Amos  3.  9-10.    The  palaces  are  scenes  of  drunken  revels, 

6.  6.  The  women  are  chief  offenders.  They  encourage 
their  husbands  to  commit  acts  of  injustice  against  the  poor. 
Their  desire  for  costly  establishments  and  luxurious  din- 
ners renders  them  heartless,  4.  1.  The  nobles  are  restless 
with  land  hunger.  No  occasion  to  dispossess  the  small 
property  owner  is  passed  by.  The  ambition  to  become 
owners  of  great  estates  blinds  them  to  human  rights,  2. 

7.  The  merchants  use  false  balances  and  sell  adulterated 
goods,  8.  6.  The  courts  are  corrupt.  Decisions  go  to  the 
highest  bidder,  5.  12.  Judges  have  trampled  justice  and 
righteousness  to  the  earth,  5.  7.  The  rich  have  sold  the 
insolvent  poor  into  slavery,  3.  6  and  8.  6.  It  is  a  sad  state 
of  affairs  to  which  Israel  has  come  when  land  grabbing, 
extortion,  drunken  revels,  bribery,  dishonest  weights  and 
measures,  adultery,  and  murder  are  openly  permitted  and 
practiced  by  prince  and  priest,  the  recognized  authorities 
of  the  land. 

The  Political  History  of  Israel  from  Jeroboam  II 
TO  THE  Destruction"  of  the  Nation  (B.  C.  743-722) 

Zechariah,  the  son  of  Jeroboam,  the  last  of  the  house  of 
Jehu,  reigned  but  six  months,  and  was  slain  by  Shallum, 
who  enjoyed  his  throne  a  month,  and  was  killed  in  turn 
by  Menahem,  2  Kings  15.  8-10,  13,  14.  Menahem's  reign 
(742-737)  was  a  sorry  rule.  Read  2  Kings  15.  16,  19, 
20  for  his  cruelty  and  poltroonery.  He  entailed  upon  his 
people  an  enormous  tribute  to  the  Assyrians.  Pekahiah 
succeeded  his  father  in  736,  lasted  a  little  over  a  year,  and 
was  murdered  by  Pekah,  15.  25.  Pekah  maintained  him- 
self for  five  years,  suffered  the  loss  of  all  his  northern  prov- 
inces to  Assyria,  15.  29,  and  was  slain  by  Hoshea,  15.  30, 
who  kept  the  crown  of  Israel  until  it  was  taken  away 


ISKAEL  KNOWN  TO  AMOS  AND  HOSEA   191 

forever  by  the  Assyrian  in  721.  The  wretched  story  of 
Hoshea's  tribute,  revolt,  imprisonment,  and  no  doubt  blind- 
ness, according  to  the  usual  punishment  meted  out  to  re- 
bellious vassals  by  the  Assyrian,  and  the  fall  of  Samaria, 
is  given  in  2  Kings  17.  3-6. 

The  New  Order  of  Prophets 

These  studies  have  made  apparent  the  close  connection 
between  the  monarch  and  the  prophets  from  the  days  of 
Saul  to  Jeroboam  II.  The  brilliant  political  successes 
of  the  latter  king  were  inspired  by  Jonah,  a  distinguished 
member  of  the  prophetic  guilds,  2  Kings  14.  25.  These 
prophetic  associations  continue  for  some  time,  but  the 
direction  of  Hebrew  religion  passes  now  from  these  men 
of  the  old  order,  who  had  fought  so  valiantly  for  Jehovah, 
to  a  new  line  of  men,  who  advocate  a  totally  different  con- 
ception of  Jehovah  and  his  relation  to  his  people.  Jonah 
ben  Amittai  passes  his  prophet's  crown  to  Amos,  a  shep- 
herd of  Tekoa,  and  although  the  new  order  of  men  is 
wholly  incomprehensible  to  the  old,  we  know  that  the  new 
voices  spoke  the  loftier  message  and  lifted  Israel  into  her 
religious  hegemony  of  the  world.  Although  the  great 
eighth-century  prophets  were  preceded  by  men  like  Nathan 
and  Elijah,  who  saw  the  necessity  of  moralizing  human 
conduct,  yet  Amos  and  his  successors  perceived  so  much 
more  clearly  the  essential  nature  of  true  religion  that  their 
contribution  to  the  world's  religious  life  came  like  a  golden 
flash  of  day  out  of  the  faintly  starred  night. 

The  Failure  of  the  Old  Prophetic  Program. — What  is  the 
explanation  of  this  most  striking  religious  revelation  of 
Hebrew  history?  Interpreted  in  the  light  of  the  social 
conditions  of  the  eighth  century,  the  answer  is  that  there 
came  a  day  when  the  old  prophetic  dogmas  no  longer  were 
able  to  explain  and  guide  the  actual  life  of  Israel.  The 
monarchy  had  been  largely  created  by  the  prophets,  and 
these  foremost  champions  of  Jehovah  in  most  cases  were 
the  close  advisers  and  supporters  of  the  kings.  But  the 
northern  kingdom,  where  the  prophets  were  unusually  ac- 
tive, was  not  prospering  under  their  tutelage.     The  old 


192  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

prophetic  program  for  the  nation  was  breaking  down.  The 
new  situation,  which  the  older  prophecy  could  not  handle, 
was  twofold:  (1)  The  revolution  under  Elijah  and  Jehu 
had  not  prospered  politically.  The  end  of  Jehu^s  reign 
and  the  reigns  of  his  immediate  successors  had  been  the 
darkest  politically  in  the  kingdom's  history.  The  nation  had 
chosen  Jehovah,  but  in  the  choice  it  came  near  perishing. 
That  experience  was  a  terrible  blow  to  those  who  asserted, 
"Worship  Jehovah  alone,  and  all  goes  well."  (2)  The  social 
wrongs  springing  up  in  the  midst  of  the  prosperity  of  the 
nation  under  Jeroboam  II  were  steadily  breaking  up  He- 
brew life  into  new  groups  which  would  prove  as  inimical 
to  the  national  unity  as  the  old  clan  life  whose  jealousies 
subjected  the  Hebrews  to  Canaanite  and  Philistine  tri- 
umphs. The  thoughtful  student  will  recall  the  stern  pro- 
tests of  Nathan,  Ahijah,  Micaiah,  Elijah,  and  Elisha,  and 
the  community  life  of  the  prophetic  guilds  to  witness  the 
democratic  ideals  of  the  prophetic  order.  The  new  social 
disorders,  encouraged  by  the  very  sovereigns  whom  the 
prophets  had  aided  to  the  throne,  dismayed  the  religious 
leaders. 

The  Ideals  of  the  Earlier  Prophets :  Jehovahism. — A  lit- 
tle reflection  will  call  to  mind  that  these  earlier  prophets 
were  characterized  by  four  distinct  ideals.  They  were  Je- 
hovahists.  From  their  earliest  historical  appearance  until 
they  disappear  from  biblical  literature,  they  are  the  lead- 
ing devotees  of  Jehovah.  They  are  committed  to  him  and 
their  devotion  seeks  to  make  him  Lord  alone  of  Hebrew  life. 
Jehovah  had  led  the  nation  out  of  Egypt,  made  his  cove- 
nant with  them,  and  established  them  in  Canaan.  He  was, 
therefore,  the  unrivaled  God  of  the  Hebrew.  These  older 
prophets  were  determined  that  the  agricultural  feasts,  the 
family  sacrifices,  the  worship  of  the  new  moon,  and  the 
practices  of  the  hundreds  of  high  places  should  be  con- 
secrated, not  to  Canaanite  or  Tyrian  gods,  but  to  Jehovah 
alone.    They  were  jealous  for  him  and  tolerated  no  rival. 

Nationalism. — In  the  second  place,  these  earlier  prophets 
were  nationalists.  They  perceived  truly  enough  that  the 
clan  life,  which  obtained  at  the  entrance  into  Canaan  and 


ISEAEL  KNOWN  TO  AMOS  AND  HOSEA  193 

during  several  generations  following  the  first  settlement 
in  Palestine,  could  not  carry  Hebrew  achievements  forward 
to  greater  issues.  The  tribes  required  federation  to  make 
them  great.  Their  very  existence  in  Palestine  required  their 
fusion  into  a  nation.  If  Jehovah,  who  had  led  them  into 
Canaan,  was  not  utterly  to  be  forgotten  in  the  increasing 
devotion  of  the  Hebrews  to  the  Baals,  the  tribes  must 
be  nationalized.  Therefore  the  prophets  believed  in  the 
nation.  They  backed  Saul,  and  ever  were  loyal  to  the  mo- 
narchical idea.  They  believed  in  an  independent  nation. 
They  wanted  no  foreign  alliances  with  their  traffic  in  for- 
eign gods.  They  opposed  the  international  policy  of  Solo- 
mon. They  were  against  Ahab's  alliance  with  Tyre.  They 
vigorously  resisted  dallying  with  Damascus.  They  en- 
couraged cooperation  with  Assyria  as  long  as  Israel  seemed 
able  to  meet  that  distant  power  as  an  equal.  These 
prophets  preached  that  loyalty  to  Jehovah  was  the  one  sure 
way  of  national  glory.  If  afflictions  befell  the  nation,  let 
the  nation  give  itself  more  devotedly  to  Jehovah,  and  he 
would  again  champion  the  people  with  whom  he  had 
covenanted  and  give  them  victory  over  their  enemies  and 
his.  These  prophets,  when  Damascus,  and  later  Assyria, 
began  to  afflict  Israel,  formulated  the  doctrine  of  the  "Day 
of  Jehovah.'^  For  some  inscrutable  reason  Jehovah  was 
permitting  his  people  to  be  oppressed.  But  the  affliction 
of  Israel  could  not  multiply  into  destruction  of  the  nation. 
Jehovah^s  covenant  with  his  people  seemed  to  these  prophets 
to  guarantee  national  existence  and  glory.  Therefore  they 
proclaimed  to  their  distressed  countrymen  that  at  some 
future  time  Jehovah  would  overwhelmingly  avenge  him- 
self upon  the  oppressors  of  his  people.  The  nation  was 
to  be  saved  by  a  sudden  powerful  intervention  of  Jehovah. 
He  would  overwhelm  his  enemies  and  establish  Israel  in 
peace  and  glory. 

Ritualism. — In  the  third  place,  these  prophets  were 
ritualists.  Religion  for  them  was  almost  wholly  a  life 
of  external  forms.  When  they  preached  a  greater  devotion 
to  Jehovah  they  were  urging  their  countrymen  to  give 
greater  attention  to  the  feasts  at  the  high  places  of  Israel. 


194  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

Bethel  and  Gilgal  especially  had  been  enriched  with  build- 
ings, images,  altars,  and  priests  by  the  sovereigns  of  the 
northern  kingdom,  and  to  be  more  religious  was  to  appear 
at  these  and  other  shrines  more  frequently  for  sacrifice  and 
to  present  to  the  priests  in  charge  tithes  at  short  intervals 
(Amos  4.  4,  5). 

Democracy. — Finally,  these  early  prophets  were  demo- 
crats. They  lived  near  the  common  people  and  deeply 
sympathized  with  them.  They  had  sprung  from  the 
humble  classes.  Like  our  Nazarene  Lord,  they  knew  the 
sorrows  of  the  poor  and  knew  the  great  most  intimately 
through  their  oppressions.  They  could  not  believe  that 
Jehovah  desired  Hebrew  nobles  to  dispossess  the  humble 
farmer  of  his  vineyard  or  the  lowly  shepherd  of  his  sheep. 
They  knew  that  kings  had  no  authority  from  their  God 
to  carry  off  to  their  harems  the  wives  of  humble  subjects 
or  to  enslave  thousands  of  the  poor  to  toil  upon  royal 
buildings.  Slavery  was  abhorrent  to  them.  It  was  a  com- 
mon practice  to  sell  the  insolvent  poor  into  slavery.  But 
the  heartless  covetousness  which  made  this  possible  never 
was  condoned  by  them.  Therefore  the  wretched  sufferers 
of  injustice  appealed  to  them  for  relief,  and  without  doubt, 
during  the  high-tide  of  the  unjust  exactions  of  the  power- 
ful in  Israel,  the  prophets  were  the  only  advocates,  if  feeble 
and  almost  ineffectual,  of  social  justice  and  righteousness. 

Amos  and  Hosea. — It  was  evident  to  thoughtful  observers 
like  Amos  and  Hosea  that  Israel's  national  life  was  doomed. 
Assyria  was  a  continually  rising  power,  and  Jeroboam's 
luxury  only  hastened  the  day  of  the  Assyrian  conqueror. 
Attention  to  the  ritual  had  increased  the  corruption  of  the 
nation's  morals.  It  began  to  be  evident  that  no  "Day  of 
Jehovah"  could  restore  the  political  life  of  Israel  and  that 
no  mere  ritual  devotion  could  prevent  the  morals  of  the 
people  from  sinking  into  utter  rottenness.  It  was  in  this 
situation  that  God  in  his  mercy  and  wisdom  gave  the 
Hebrew  people  two  great  seers,  Amos  and  Hosea,  who, 
though  they  were  unable  to  stem  the  dying  political  life 
of  Israel,  rendered  the  world  an  incomparably  greater 
service  in  the  creation  of  a  faith  in  Jehovah  which  was  able 


ISRAEL  KNOWN  TO  AMOS  AND  HOSEA   195 

to  purify  and  expand  the  religion  of  their  age  into  a  world- 
acceptable  view  of  God. 

Fact,  Theory,  and  Duty 

Changing  Facts. — The  history  of  mankind  is  a  constantly 
changing  series  of  facts.  Although  the  life  of  humanity 
often  seems  static,  or  at  best  a  recurring  series  of  events, 
it  is,  in  truth,  a  continually  varying  order  of  actualities. 
Within  a  few  years  after  the  entrance  of  the  Hebrews  into 
Palestine  the  religious  life  of  the  Hebrews  took  on  cer- 
tain forms  of  expression  which  remained  almost  unchanged 
for  centuries.  The  religious  beliefs  and  practices  of  the 
northern  kingdom  during  the  whole  of  its  history  experi- 
enced little  change.  But  even  in  the  midst  of  these  static 
forms  an  event  of  prime  importance  took  place.  Tyrian 
baalism  was  overthrown  and  it  was  absolutely  determined 
that  Jehovah  alone  was  the  Deity  of  the  Hebrew.  This  is 
ever  the  witness  of  history.  New  facts  constantly  are 
emerging  in  our  social  order.  New  conditions  constantly 
arise  in  political  and  economic  life.  Human  thought  con- 
tinually wins  new  intellectual  outlooks.  The  world  is  in 
unceasing  flux.  Each  generation  inherits  a  new  world 
and  modifies  it  in  the  using.  No  man  can  live  in  his 
grandfather's  world. 

Changing  Theories. — No  theory  of  facts  can  abide  un- 
changed. No  interpretation  of  life  is  absolutely  final.  The 
earlier  prophets  staked  their  hopes  upon  the  national  in- 
tegrity and  prosperity  of  Israel.  It  seems  now  that  no 
national  righteousness  could  have  prevented  the  little  state 
from  vassalage  and  ruin  at  the  hands  of  Assyria.  The 
destruction  of  Israel  forced  the  formation  of  a  mightier 
conception  of  Jehovah.  God,  it  appears,  is  always  larger 
than  our  theories.  It  is  our  solemn  duty  to  dogmatize 
about  God,  to  form  convictions  about  his  character  and 
providence  and  to  hold  them  passionately  in  one^s  soul.. 
But  we  dare  not  claim  finality  for  our  views.  We  must 
expect  that  changing  civilization  will  give  birth  to  new 
convictions  about  the  Most  High.  It  is  our  religious  privi- 
lege and  the  sign  of  our  greatness  to  pass  from  dogma  to 


196  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

dogma,  led  by  changing  conditions  which  demand  new 
interpretive  schemes  of  life. 

Changing  Duties. — Lowell  in  the  midst  of  the  agitation 
to  free  the  Negro  slave  declared : 

**New  occasions  teach  new  duties;  Time  makes  ancient  good 

uncouth; 
They  must  upward  still,  and  onward,  who  would  keep  abreast 
of  Truth." 

The  destruction  of  Israel  and  Judah  not  only  lifted  the 
religion  of  the  Hebrew  from  a  national  ritual  to  an  ethical 
monotheism,  but  it  also  issued  in  a  new  set  of  religious 
duties.  It  forced  the  realization  that  moral  conduct  is  the 
soul  of  religion.  In  recent  years  a  very  amazing  and  revo- 
lutionary change  has  taken  place  in  our  conception  of 
Christianity.  The  primary  religious  duties  have  shifted 
from  the  observance  of  sacraments  to  the  observance  of  just 
and  righteous  personal  and  social  relationships.  For 
example,  the  fundamental  Christian  obligation  in  regard  to 
the  poor  is  not  to  give  alms  but  to  labor  to  change  the  social 
conditions  which  make  poverty  possible.  Religion  to-day, 
as  in  the  days  of  Jeroboam  II,  can  keep  from  failing  only 
as  it  adopts  new  theories  and  fulfills  new  duties. 


For  Class  Discussion 

1.  What  conditions  made  possible  the  vigorous  political  and 
commercial  life  of  Israel  during  the  reign  of  Jeroboam  II? 

2.  In  what  way  were  the  prophetic  hopes  concerning  As- 
syria blasted? 

3.  What  social  evils  cursed  Israel  during  Jeroboam's  reign? 
To  what  extent  are  these  evils  found  in  modern  life? 

4.  What  were  the  outstanding  characteristics  of  the  early 
prophets? 

5.  What  services  had  they  rendered  the  national  life? 

6.  Why  did  the  leadership  of  Hebrewreligious  life  pass  away 
from  them? 

7.  What  was  their  conception   of  the   relation  of  Jehovah 
and  Israel?    What  did  they  mean  by  the  "Day  of  Jehovah"? 

8.  Why  is  it  necessary  to  adopt  new  conceptions  of  religion 
from  time  to  time? 


ISEAEL  KNOWN  TO  AMOS  AND  HOSEA  197 


Additional  Helps  fob  the  Student 

Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  347-365. 
W.  R.  Smith,  The  Prophets  of  Israel,  pp.  95-120. 
Smith,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  203-213. 
Wallls,  Sociological  Study  of  the  BiMe,  pp.  147-184. 


CHAPTEE  XXIV 
A  PEOPHET  OF  EIGHTEOUSNESS 

A  NEW  epoch  of  Hebrew  religion  begins  in  Amos.  The 
destruction  of  the  national  life  of  Israel  and  Judah  would 
silence  the  worship  of  Jehovah  unless  religion  could  be 
lifted  above  the  national  meanings  given  to  it  by  the  priests 
and  prophets  who  thus  far  had  directed  the  beliefs  and 
practices  of  the  people.  When  the  national  fortunes  of 
Moab  perished  in  the  night  of  conquest,  Chemosh,  the 
national  deity,  was  engulfed  in  the  crushing  calamities  of 
his  people.  It  was  through  the  great  prophets,  beginning 
with  Amos,  that  Hebrew  religion  was  spared  the  same 
oblivion.  This  chapter  outlines  the  significant  elements 
now  introduced  into  Hebrew  religion,  which  lifted  it  out 
of  a  national  worship  into  a  spiritual  reality  to  be  experi- 
enced by  the  whole  world. 

The  Training  of  A  Peophet 

The  Home  of  Amos. — Examine  Amos  1.  1  and  7.  14, 
and  state  the  home  and  occupation  of  Amos.  "Directly 
north  of  Tekoa  and  across  almost  barren  hills  lies  Jeru- 
salem. To  the  northwest  Bethlehem  clings  to  a  grass- 
deserted  hill.  To  the  west  and  southwest  stretches  the 
long  ridge  of  rolling  summits  to  Hebron  and  the  country 
beyond.  To  the  east  the  quite  barren  marl  ridges  slope 
down  to  the  Salt  Sea.  Beyond  them  the  sea  itself  is  in 
view  through  much  of  its  length,  while  the  Moab  tableland 
rises  mountain-high  beyond.  The  scene  of  the  boyhood 
and  of  the  manhood  labors  of  Amos  is  desolate  enough. 
There  are  a  few  patches  of  pasturage  and  cultivated  fields. 
.  .  .  From  Olivet  southward  as  far  as  the  eye  can  fol- 
low the  Jordan  depression,  the  land  is  a  mass  of  desolation. 
The  sea  which  rests  so  peacefully  between  the  lifeless  ridges 

198 


A  PROPHET  OF  RIGHTEOUSNESS         199 

of  eastern  and  western  Palestine  and  bewitches  you  with 
a  dozen  vistas  of  blue  is  a  mockery:  it  poisons  the  shore 
it  kisses.   .    .    . 

"Yet  Amos,  though  living  in  the  wilderness,  was  not  far 
from  the  busiest  centers  of  Israel.  .  .  .  The  world  must 
have  come  knocking  at  the  very  threshold  of  this  shepherd's 
isolated  life.  It  came  near  enough  in  some  fashion  for 
this  keeper  of  sheep  and  dresser  of  trees  to  know  the  his- 
tory and  geography  of  his  land  and  to  be  familiar  with 
its  calamities  of  pestilence,  famine,  and  earthquake;  for 
his  heart  to  grow  sore  with  the  luxury  of  the  nobles,  the 
worldliness  of  the  priests,  the  miseries  of  the  poor:  the 
rapacious  tyranny  of  the  strong  and  the  wretched  injustice 
borne  sullenly  by  the  helpless.  The  shepherd  of  Tekoa 
was  not  a  provincial  in  his  thought,  his  sympathy,  his 
social  insight  or  in  his  belief  that  righteousness  lies  at  the 
heart  of  the  universe.'" 

The  Development  of  a  Prophetic  Consciousness. — It  has 
been  made  clear  that  in  Amos  begins  a  distinctly  higher, 
and  in  many  respects  permanently  enduring  religious  life. 
Amos  himself  was  conscious  of  his  separateness  from  the 
older  group  of  prophets.  Reflect  upon  the  statement  of 
Amos,  7.  14,  "I  was  no  prophet,"  in  the  light  of  what  has 
been  said  of  the  prophetic  guilds,  and  consider  what  he 
meant.  Note  his  insistence  that  prophecy  is  not  his  voca- 
tion, 7.  15,  and  observe  that  Amos  is  conscious  of  an  inner 
compulsion  of  Jehovah  forcing  him  to  deliver  his  message. 
Read  closely  Amos  3.  3-8  for  another  statement  of  this 
same  conviction.  Note  the  suggestions  of  Amaziah,  7.  12, 
that  Amos  prophesies  for  reward.  Amos  disavows  any 
connection  with  the  professional  prophets.  He  has  not 
sought  this  new  vocation.  No  motive  of  livelihood  has 
moved  him.  Within  his  own  soul  an  irresistible  impulsion 
has  arisen  to  denounce  the  social  wrongs  and  the  spiritless 
worship  of  Israel.  This  inward  thrust  to  action  is  the  work 
of  God.  Jehovah  has  spoken  unto  him  and  he  must  pro- 
claim the  message.    This  is  something  tremendously  signifi- 


^Ascham,  A  Syrian  Pilgrimage,  p.  195f. 


200  THE  EELIGIOX  OF  ISBAEL 

cant.  A  man  b^ins  to  discourse  on  the  prof  onndest  things 
of  life,  voices  ideas  which  are  to  revolutionize  the  world, 
and  asserts  that  these  ideas  have  been  awakened  in  his 
soTil  bv  God-  How  did  these  ideas  arise  ?  By  what  means 
was  Amos  convinced  that  these  ideas  originated  with  Je- 
hovah? 

Was  Tekoa  itself  a  school  for  training  prophets  ?  'Tliere 
are  few  places  in  Palestine  where  the  contrast  is  so  sharply 
drawn  between  fertility  and  desolation.  He  who  saw  the 
deseit  encroach  each  year  upon  the  pasturages,  who  experi- 
oieed  tiie  boming  heat  of  those  dust-heaps  in  the  midsum- 
mer stm  and  knew  the  sternness  with  which  man  must 
giapple  with  those  sullen  wastes  to  wre^t  from  them  exist- 
ence, was  better  fitted,  to  consider  the  character  and  pur- 
po^s  of  Israel's  Deity  than  those  sensuotis  'kine  of  Bashan' 
inviting  their  lords  to  drunken  revelry  upon  the  ivory 
coodies  of  Samaria's  c-apitaL  or  even  the  priests  who  had 
tmxied  fte  nation's  sacred  shrines  into  strange  scenes  of 
wine-drinking,  highway  robbery,  and  murder.  From  his 
Mil-home  Amos  could  see,  beyond  Jerusalem,  the  reUgiotis 
capital  of  Israel  at  BetheL  The  flood  of  national  im- 
morality had  swept  southward  almost  to  his  wilderness. 
The  tales  of  priestly  orgies  had  become  common  gossip. 
The  ay  for  justice  had  been  raised  by  many  an  oppressed 
fdiq^ierd.  The  religion  of  Israel  had'  become  the  cloak  of 
•file  rich  and  the  nakedness  of  the  poor.  Softness  and 
luxury,  instead  of  justice,  humanity,  and  morality,  were 
tiie  object  of  priest  and  prince  throughout  the  northern 
kingdom. 

*^Amos  saw  no  softness  and  Itixury  in  the  stirrounding 
of  his  toiL  The  shepherd  needed  to' be  sleepless  by  night 
and  by  day.  The  wild  beasts  had  a  thousand  lairs  in  that 
wild  waste  of  ravines  and  caves  sweeping  seaward:  their 
himting-grotmds  were  the  hills  and  the  wadies  where  the 
flocks  pastured.  The  sun  blistered  the  grain  fields  in  the 
pockete  of  the  hills  and  turned  their  torrents  into  high- 
'wmjB.  'M'ftTi  here  could  not  be  idle.  Life  was  a  continuous 
is  to  rigorous  duty.  Each  man  who  knew  the  wil- 
had  b^otten  in  hiTn  sympathy  and  reverence  for 


A  PBOPHET  OF  EIGHTEOUSHBSS        201 


the  stmggles  of  hi=  fellows.  In jnstice  wis  iwnwHyMe,  S-> 
the  eonTicticm  grew  in  Amoe  that  Jdicmh  too  leqnied 
from  all  men  that  tiie  greatest  serriee,  the  fnllest  stsmgUi, 
and  the  lidiest  famnanitr  ^khiM  be  exBmsfid  for  ihs  good 
of  alL  l%e  neglect  of  this  high  dutj  eoidd  not  be  atraied 
by  the  oostiiest  samfjee  at  the  saoed  pbcses.  Hmr^n 
justice  is  tiie  aae  incense  acceptable  to  Jchofah.*' 

Yet  this  is  not  alL  If  it  were  aH,  ereiy  T^oan  _  : 
would  hare  become  a  prophet-  Men,  as  well  as  k^^  -  - 
the  trees,  are  neTer  exactly  alike.  Each  individTLi.  .r  :? 
differently  npon  his  enTiromnefit.  It  was  tiie  tizi;  —ifr- 
ence  of  wonder,  earnestnesSy  tlioag^itfiifaieGBy  an:  :  :il 
seiioiiSDesB  which  gsTe  God  bk  dianee  in  Hms  sool  : :  ^  - 
Yet  wben  all  the  physical  and  psjddeal  fads  h:  -l 
catakgned  there  still  remains  l£e  mjsieiv  that  iz^  ^^ 
alone  the  T^oan  wfldemess  UoGBomed  into  ?  -  ir 

onlT  further  explanation  is  the  one  Amos  M^ 
''The  Lord  Jehcv-ah  hath  rp^zezi :  -h-  -itl  hi      .     -zj  :  " 

The  Mss£-i :  i     j  .^i: :  s 

Tie  Form  of  the  Hessage. — TT^id:;!  az:  ;  r  -J^ 

boTah  hath  spoken,'*  he  did  not  mean  lbs:  iz     ^l        ^ 
set  expressions  bad  been  whispered  in  bif  z 

prophets  proclaimed,  **Thus  saith  Jdn)^; 
thinking  of  phrases  and  sentences.    Hie 
a  spirit  of  life.     They  have  in  mind  ce 
of  the  meaning  and  ends  of  life  wbicb 
the  root  of  things.    It  is  the  idea,  and  z.  : 

which  they  expr^s  it,  which  they  feel  his      :  t  ::  _   ^ 
It  is  the  ideal  they  proclaim,  and  not  i:- 
which  they  hold  is  inspired.    There  bare 
the  soul  of  Amos  c-ertain  canTictian^ 
of  Jehovah  and  about  his  demands  i: 
the  prophet  believes  he  is  ooramiss: 
ideas  are  divinely  given,  the  messe- .  : 
the  form  of  the  mesc^^re  is  the  prcphr:  -  _ 

The  Ckaracter  of  JehoTalL^Ob>fr-=    __:   _^  _ 

-AsciiaB,  Old.,  p.  1971 


202  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

to  2.  3,  denounces  surrounding  nations  in  the  name  of 
Jehovah.  Eead  also  2.  10 ;  9.  4,  7.  Is  this  a  different  con- 
ception of  Jehovah  than  was  held  by  David,  who  thought 
Jehovah  could  not  be  worshiped  in  Philistia,  or  by  Elisha, 
who  encouraged  Naaman  to  carry  soil  from  Palestine  to 
Damascus  in  order  to  set  up  an  altar  to  the  Deity  who  had 
healed  him?  State  the  new  conception  of  Jehovah  found 
in  the  above  references. 

In  addition  to  the  range  of  Jehovah's  empire,  Amos 
differs  from  his  predecessors  in  his  conception  of  Jehovah's 
character.  Eead  2.  6-8 ;  3.  9,  10 ;  4.  1 ;  5.  7,  10,  15 ;  6.  1- 
7 ;  8.  4-6.  Notice  the  sins  condemned  and  the  requirements 
of  Jehovah,  and  then  estimate  the  character  of  Israel's 
God  as  he  was  known  to  Amos.  Eecall  Nathan's  rebuke 
of  David,  2  Samuel  12.  1-15,  Elijah's  denunciation  of 
Ahab,  1  Kings  21.  17-24,  and  Elisha's  championship  of 
the  lady  of  Shunem,  2  Kings  8.  1-6  and  observe  that 
earlier  prophets  were  not  blind  to  the  ethical  character  of 
Jehovah.  But  Amos  set  morality  upon  the  throne  in  the 
personality  of  God.  The  ethical  character  of  Jehovah,  in 
the  teaching  of  Amos,  becomes  the  outstanding  mark  of 
deity. 

Jehovah  and  the  Nation. — The  view  held  by  Amos  of 
Jehovah's  relation  to  Israel  is  noteworthy.  (1.)  Observe 
that  Amos  accepts  the  covenant  relation  of  Israel  to  Je- 
hovah. Although  Jehovah  is  the  Sovereign  Lord  of  nations, 
he  stands  in  an  especial  relation  to  Israel,  2.  10;  3.  1-2; 
9.  10.  Jehovah  "knows"  Israel.  He  brought  the  Hebrews 
from  Egypt ;  they  are  his  people.  This  too  was  the  popular 
view.  The  student  should  read  "The  Blessing  of  Moses," 
found  in  Deuteronomy  33.  This  poem  presents  the  popular 
view  of  Jehovah's  relation  to  his  people,  held  by  the  im- 
mediate predecessors  and  contemporaries  of  Amos.  Eead 
attentively  Deuteronomy  33.  26-29,  and  note  the  confidence 
of  Israel  in  Jehovah's  protection.  Observe  too  the  bless- 
ings which  are  expected  from  Jehovah,  namely,  dew,  grain, 
wine,  and  triumph  over  the  foes  of  Israel.  What  sugges- 
tion is  there  of  an  ethical  relation  between  the  nation  and 
its  Deity?     (2.)  That  Jehovah  and  the  Hebrews  stood  in 


A  PEOPHET  OF  RIGHTEOUSNESS         203 

a  unique  relation  was  ever  a  fundamental  belief  of  the 
people  and  their  greatest  religious  leaders.  It  was  the 
new  use  of  this  creed  which  separates  Amos  so  sharply 
from  all  who  precede  him.  Commit  to  memory  Amos  3.  2, 
"You  only  have  I  known  of  all  the  families  of  the  earth.^' 
That  was  the  popular  belief,  but  when  Amos  added,  "There- 
fore I  will  visit  upon  you  all  your  iniquities/^  he  in- 
augurated a  religious  revolution.  That  Jehovah  had  chosen 
Israel  to  humiliate  and  chastise  them  was  unthinkable. 
He  had  chosen  them  to  be  honored  by  their  worship,  and 
in  order  that  his  honor  might  be  upheld,  he  was  obligated 
to  bless  the  nation  with  prosperity  and  peace.  It  was  un- 
thinkable that  he  could  visit  them  with  affliction.  Popular 
religion,  clinging  to  the  political  covenant  of  Sinai,  had 
not  yet  ethicized  this  relation  to  Jehovah. 

So  the  nation,  conscious  of  need,  was  trusting  in  and 
hoping  for  the  "Day  of  Jehovah,"  at  which  time  the  na- 
tion's social  miseries  and  political  humiliation  would  be 
forever  set  aside.  Study  attentively  Amos  5.  18-20.  This 
longed-for  "day"  in  popular  belief  was  a  battle-day,  a  day 
of  victory  and  triumph  for  Jehovah  and  his  people  over 
their  common  enemies.  It  was  to  usher  in  the  period  of 
unbroken  material  prosperity.  But  Amos  insists  that  the 
'T)ay  of  Jehovah^'  is  not  a  day  of  national  rescue.  It  is 
a  day  of  affliction  and  judgment.  Note  the  striking 
imagery  in  5,  19,  20.  There  is  indeed  "no  brightness'^  in 
the  day  which  Amos  predicted.  For  Amos  the  expected 
day  was  Jehovah's  manifestation  of  himself  as  the  God  of 
righteousness.  Jehovah  will  set  up  his  standard  of  right- 
eousness and  Judge  the  nations  by  it.  Israel,  because  she 
has  "known"  Jehovah,  that  is,  had  special  opportunity  to 
become  familiar  with  his  ethical  character,  will  be  most 
rigorously  judged. 

The  Worship  of  Jehovah. — At  no  period  of  Israel's  his- 
tory was  the  worship  of  Jehovah  offered  more  earnestly 
than  at  the  time  that  Amos  denounced  the  practices  of  the 
northern  sanctuaries.  The  prosperity  of  the  kingdom  had 
made  costly  sacrifices  possible.  The  failure  of  the  foreign 
policy  of  the  prophets  led  them  to  encourage  greater  devo- 


204  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

tion  to  the  ritual.  Many  of  the  old  plain  high  places  had 
become  enriched  with  images,  priests,  and  dwellings.  Pre- 
ceding chapters  frequently  have  referred  to  the  charac- 
ter of  this  amalgamated  Baal-Jehovah  worship.  At  the 
best  it  was  an  unspiritualized  family  festival.  The  prayers 
were  petitions  for  material  blessings.  The  sins  for  which 
the  sacrifices  atoned  were  drought,  disease,  storms,  earth- 
quakes, fruitless  marriages,  dwindling  flocks,  and  barren 
fields.  It  was  the  interest  of  the  priests  to  encourage  the 
prostitution  and  the  drunkenness  which  accompanied  often 
the  sacrifices.  Examine  Amos  2.  7,  8,  and  Hosea  2.  11; 
4.  11,  14  for  indications  of  the  worship  at  this  period.  It 
must  be  imderstood  that  these  sacrificial  feasts  were  the 
sole  form  of  worship  at  this  time.  Study  1  Samuel  26. 
19,  Hosea  9.  3,  4,  and  Amos  7.  17.  Here  it  is  definitely 
assumed  that  the  worship  of  Jehovah  is  impossible  beyond 
the  boundaries  of  Palestine  and  apart  from  his  altars. 

Amos  discarded  the  whole  prevalent  system  of  worship. 
He  saw  clearly  that  Jehovah  was  too  spiritual  to  care  for 
the  smell  of  burning  fat  and  too  moral  to  look  without 
repugnance  upon  the  sensuality  of  these  feasts  and  the 
gluttony  and  avarice  of  the  priests.  Therefore  he  attacked 
the  whole  system  of  sacrifice.  He  declared  that  it  had  no 
place  in  true  religion.  Read  5.  21-23  and  observe  that 
Amos  expresses  in  the  most  positive  manner  possible  that 
the  sacrificial  system  of  Israel  is  abhorrent  to  Jehovah. 
Note  the  fine  scorn  of  his  words,  4.  4,  "Come  to  Bethel  and 
transgress.'^  Worship  at  the  sanctuaries  so  little  recognized 
the  true  character  of  Jehovah  that  Amos  declared  that  the 
whole  system  of  Israel's  worship  had  become  a  transgres- 
sion. Amos  asserts,  5.  25,  that  the  ritual  of  sacrifice  of 
his  day,  yes,  even  sacrifice  itself,  was  not  divinely  ordained 
at  Sinai.  In  this  view  he  was  largely  correct.  The  original 
animal  sacrifices  which  were  participated  in  sparingly  in 
their  nomadic  period  had  multiplied  during  their  resi- 
dence in  Canaan  and  had  been  blended  with  the  native 
Canaanite  agricultural  feasts.  The  idea  of  sacrifice  was 
familiar  to  the  primitive  Israelites.  But  its  abuses  multi- 
plied under  Canaanitish  influences.    Amos,  led  by  the  mis- 


A  PROPHET  OF  RIGHTEOUSNESS         205 

taken  notion  that  primitive  Israel  had  performed  no  sacri- 
fices, framed  his  new  demand  for  a  nonsacrificial  religion 
as  a  "return  unto  Jehovah/'  4.  6.  Amos  looks  to  the  day 
when  the  sanctuaries  shall  be  no  more,  3.  14;  7.  9. 

The  Requirements  of  Jehovah. — If  the  sanctuaries  with 
their  sacrifices  are  to  pass  away,  what  substitute  does  Amos 
propose  for  them  to  manifest  the  feeling  and  the  expres- 
sion of  worship,  which  surely  are  essentials  of  true  religion  ? 
What  is  his  conception  of  the  fundamental  nature  of  reli- 
gion and  how  does  he  propose  to  give  expression  to  religion 
in  the  common  life  of  Israel?  Amos  answers,  "Seek  Je- 
hovah,''  5.  5,  6.  By  this  he  meant  at  least  two  things.  To 
seek  Jehovah  is  to  avoid  the  sanctuaries,  5.  5,  and  to  "seek 
good  and  not  evil,"  5.  14.  To  seek  good  ic  to  practice  jus- 
tice and  righteousness,  5.  15.  To  seek  Jehovah  is  to  put 
away  the  whole  unspiritual,  useless  sacrificial  system,  5. 
21-24,  and  to  substitute  for  this  unethical  ritual  of  wor- 
ship, so  unrelated  to  the  ethical  needs  of  the  manifold  daily 
relationships  of  life,  an  unyielding  passion  to  moralize 
every  contact  of  each  individual  with  his  fellow  men.  Je- 
hovah is  just  and  his  rulership  of  the  world  is  just.  The 
true  worship  of  such  a  Deity  is  to  imitate  his  righteousness. 

By  seeking  Jehovah,  Amos  also  understood  those  acts 
and  moods  of  reflection  and  meditation  in  which  the  in- 
dividual becomes  aware  of  new  moral  convictions  or  of 
new  moral  guidance  of  daily  life.  Amos  held  that  God  is 
speaking  in  the  conscience,  in  the  fashioning  of  moral 
ideas,  in  the  impulses  to  nobler  conduct.  In  the  ethical 
promptings  within  the  soul,  Jehovah  speaks,  3.  7-8.  To 
listen  to  these  moral  monitors,  to  obey  their  commands, 
to  believe  that  they  are  the  Divine  Voice,  to  utter  them  in 
courageous  speech  and  sacrificial  deeds :  this  is  to  seek  and 
to  know  Jehovah.  It  was  this  inward  communion  with 
him  and  this  public  imitation  of  his  character  which  Je- 
hovah required  from  Israel. 

For  Spiritual  Travelers 

The  Test  of  a  Religion's  Worth.— Religion  ultimately  is 
justified  by  the  character  of  the  deity  adored.     It  is  the 


206  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

glory  of  Amos  that  he  proclaimed  in  positive  tones  the 
ethical  character  of  IsraeFs  God.  It  was  this  clear  truth, 
set  gleaming  by  him  in  Hebrew  life,  which  resulted  in  so 
many  wholesome  modifications  of  the  world's  religion. 
Convinced  of  Jehovah's  moral  nature,  Amos  perceived  that 
a  moral  rulership  of  the  world  was  best  secured  by  such 
a  Deity.  To-day  the  impressive  conviction  of  God's  ethical 
nature  gives  our  modern  religion  new  power.  The  belief 
in  moral  values,  in  the  everlasting  difference  between  bad 
and  good,  and  in  the  certainty  that  God  has  set  his  face 
against  every  form  of  evil  puts  new  passion  and  earnest- 
ness into  our  religious  life. 

Religion  and  Morality. — Eeligion  and  morality  are  in- 
separable. Civilization  is  indebted  immeasurably  to  Amos. 
He  established  the  closest  relation  between  religion  and 
ethics.  Sin  is  no  longer  a  neglect  of  ritual  or  the  helpless- 
ness of  the  weak  before  the  strong.  It  is  sensuality,  oppres- 
sion of  the  poor,  bribery,  contempt,  unrighteousness,  theft, 
murder  and  the  absence  of  justice  in  the  courts.  Sin  is 
the  whole  degenerate  family  of  evils,  born  from  lust  and 
pride,  which  live  by  the  denial  of  the  human  brotherhood. 
Just  institutions  and  righteous  social  relations  are  the 
essence  of  religion.  Genuine  religion  makes  a  man  the 
foe  of  all  injustice.  Measure  your  religion  by  the  range 
and  objects  of  your  antipathies. 

The  Meaning  of  Righteousness. — Eighteousness  is  right 
living,  and  right  living,  at  bottom,  is  a  profound  respect 
for  persons.  Eespect  for  persons  is  the  recognition  of  the 
basic  inherent  worth  of  every  child,  woman,  and  man.  It 
is  our  low  estimate  of  others  which  leads  us  to  wrong  them. 
It  is  our  insufferable  overestimate  of  ourselves  which  in- 
volves us  in  a  hundred  forms  of  unbrotherly  conduct.  The 
man  who  has  not  already  despised  his  fellow  man  cannot 
kill  him,  or  rob  him,  or  slander  him,  or  crush  his  business 
to  the  wall.  The  man  who  is  not  contemptuous  of  woman 
cannot  live  adulterously.  Prostitution,  drunkenness, 
bribery,  social  airs,  wars,  all  spring  up  out  of  a  disdainful 
regard  of  the  life  of  others.  To  become  genuinely  aware 
of  human  values  leads  to  righteousness. 


A  PROPHET  OP  RIGHTEOUSNESS         207 

The  Lesson's  Test 

1.  Locate  Tekoa  and  describe  the  physical  surroundings  of 
the  home  of  Amos. 

2.  What  intellectual  fitness  had  Amos  for  his  preaching? 

3.  What  part  had  his  vocation  and  his  environment  in  na- 
ture in  the  development  of  his  ideas? 

4.  What  is  the  explanation  of  this  remarkable  man's  career? 

5.  What  are  we  to  understand  by  inspiration?     By  revela- 
tion? 

6.  What    did    Amos    teach    concerning    the    character    of 
Jehovah? 

7.  What  was  the  conception  of  Jehovah's   relation  to  the 
nation  which  was  held  by  the  early  prophets? 

8.  What  did  Amos  teach  concerning  this  relation? 

9.  What  did  Amos  teach  concerning  the  sacrificial  system? 

10.  What  did  Amos  propose  to  substitute  for  the  worship  of 
the  sanctuaries? 

11.  What  is  the  meaning  of  righteousness? 

Vabying  Points  of  View 

Budde,  The  Religion  of  Israel  to  the  Exile,  pp.  121-141. 
Smith,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  213-218. 
Bade,  The  Old  Testament  in  the  Light  of  To-day,  pp.  132-153. 
W.  R.  Smith,  The  Prophets  of  Israel,  pp.  120-143. 


CHAPTEE  XXV 
A  PROPHET  OF  LOVE 

HosEA  as  well  as  Amos  may  be  understood  only  in  the 
light  of  the  political  and  social  conditions  of  his  age.  A 
summary  of  the  political  history  from  the  death  of  Jero- 
boam II  to  the  fall  of  Samaria  (B.  C.  743  to  722)  is  given 
in  Chapter  XXIII.  Whatever  has  been  said  in  the  study 
of  Amos  concerning  the  religious  and  social  conditions  of 
Israel  at  this  period  also  applies  to  the  surroundings  of 
Hosea  and  helps  determine  the  character  of  his  message. 
The  present  chapter  is  concerned  with  Hosea,  the  second 
in  time  of  the  great  Hebrew  prophets  of  the  eighth  century, 
io  whom  so  much  of  the  excellence  of  the  world^s  noblest 
.religion  is  due. 

Hosea  and  His  Age 

The  Time  and  Scene  of  Hosea's  Labors. — There  is  far 
too  little  known  of  the  man  who  made  the  second  rich  con- 
tribution to  Israel's  ethical  monotheism,  but  the  nature 
and  the  occasion  of  his  interests  are  reasonably  clear.  That 
Hosea  was  a  citizen  of  the  northern  kingdom  is  inferred 
from  1.  2,  where  Israel  is  "the  land,^'  and  from  7.  5 
where  Israel's  king  is  "our  king."  But  the  more  certain 
indication  of  the  scene  and  the  time  of  his  labors  is  found 
in  the  spirit  and  subject-matter  of  his  book,  which  con- 
cerns itself  entirely  with  the  sins  and  the  destiny  of  the 
northern  state.  In  southern  Gilead  a  mountain  which 
affords  magnificent  views  of  the  Jordan  valley,  and  nearly 
the  whole  of  Israel  with  its  commanding  heights,  Ebal  and 
Gerizim,  bears  the  name  of  Hosea  and  is  regarded  by  the 
Bedouin  as  his  burial  place.  Hosea  is  the  only  one  of 
the  prophets  to  mention  Gilead,  and  his  references,  6.  8; 
10.  14;  12.  11,  are  sufficiently  intimate  to  warrant  the 

208 


A  PEOPHET  OF  LOVE  209 

truth  of  his  Gileadite  birth  and  may  account  for  the 
Bedouin  tradition. 

Hosea  was  called  to  the  prophetic  office  during  the  last 
years  of  Jeroboam  II.  His  book  was  composed  not  later 
than  B.  C.  734.  The  annals  of  Tiglath-pileser  of  Assyria 
show  that  during  Pekah's  reign,  in  B.  C.  734,  the  Assyrian 
monarch  wrested  Gilead  and  Galilee  from  Israel.  This 
invasion  and  ravage  of  their  possessions  is  recorded  by  one 
of  IsraePs  historians  in  2  Kings  15.  29-30.  Many  of  the 
inhabitants  were  carried  into  captivity  and  it  is  probable 
that  the  customary  Assyrian  policy  of  forced  migrations 
took  place  in  these  districts,  and  that  they  were  settled  by 
captured  peoples  from  other  portions  of  the  great  empire. 
Now  Hosea  makes  no  reference  to  these  disasters.  On  the 
contrary,  he  writes  of  these  districts  5.  1;  6.  8;  12.  11,  as 
if  they  were  integral  parts  of  the  northern  kingdom  and 
as  if  the  prevalent  Israelitish  evils  were  going  forward 
in  these  provinces.  If  Hosea  lived  longer  than  this  date, 
he  did  not  take  the  trouble  to  note  the  catastrophe  in  his 
published  writings. 

Hosea's  Personal  Life. — Read  1.  2-9  and  3.  1-3.  Amos 
was  prepared  for  his  mission  by  scanty  pasturages,  barren 
hills,  and  wilderness  wastes.  Hosea's  soul  was  made  ready 
for  the  divine  use  by  a  woman's  withered  affection,  by 
bitterness  of  sorrow  and  a  devastated  home.  There  are 
still  a  few  commentators  who  are  under  the  spell  of 
allegorical  interpretations,  and  they  do  not  admit  that 
Hosea  is  here  laying  bare  the  bitterest  of  human  experi- 
ences. But  such  events  do  happen  in  our  world.  It  seems 
true  to  life  to  suppose  that  Hosea  was  fitted  to  convey  a 
profound  and  sublime  message  to  the  world  through  a 
domestic  tragedy.  We  must  not  doubt  that  here  we  are 
reading  a  bit  of  painful  individual  history.  Hosea  did  not 
knowingly  marry  an  evil  woman.  The  marriage  turned 
out  badly,  but  Hosea,  for  a  time  after  his  wife's  infidelity, 
clung  to  her  still.  Then  she  left  him  for  another  husband, 
in  whose  household  she  sank  to  the  position  of  a  slave. 
Still  Hosea's  love  followed  her.  He  purchased  her  freedom 
and  restored  her  to  something  of  her  former  position  in 


210  THE  RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

his  own  home.  His  own  love,  pursuing  his  wayward  wife 
through  all  her  follies,  became  the  tragic  symbol  of  Je- 
hovah's love  for  Israel. 

Hosea's  Message:  The  Faithlessness  oe  Iseael 

The  Worship  at  the  Sanctuaries. — Keeping  in  mind  that 
the  worship  at  the  local  sanctuaries  had  changed  little  for 
several  centuries,  and  that  it  was  not  challenged  by  Elijah 
and  Elisha,  and  that  Amos  denounced  it  because  the  ritual 
gave  opportunity  for  priestly  injustice,  Hosea's  attack  upon 
Israel's  worship  is  the  more  noteworthy.  For  him  the 
cultus  fundamentally  was  infidelity  to  Jehovah.  The  popu- 
lar worship  was  nominally  Jehovah  worship.  But  to  Hosea, 
with  his  insight  into  the  spiritual  nature  of  Jehovah, 
Israel's  worship  was  no  better  than  harlotry.  It  was  a 
worship  of  Canaanitish  baals.  Read  2.  2-13.  The  nation 
is  the  mother  of  individual  Israelites.  Jehovah  is  her 
true  husband,  but  she  has  left  him  and  gone  after  her 
lovers,  the  local  deities  of  the  land.  Israel,  ignorant  of 
Jehovah's  care  and  providence,  2.  8,  supposes  that  the  local 
baals  have  been  the  givers  of  flock  and  field,  2.  5,  8,  12. 

For  Hosea,  as  for  Amos,  the  worship  at  the  sanctuaries 
was  openly  immoral.  Examine  3.  4  and  observe  that  wor- 
ship is  an  affair  of  sacrifice,  that  at  the  Canaanitish  high 
places  is  continued  their  ancient  ritual,  and  that  images 
are  in  common  use.  The  divine  will  is  ascertained  not  by 
moral  reflection  but  by  various  methods  of  fortune-telling, 
4.  12.  Worship  at  these  sanctuaries  includes  the  indul- 
gence of  sexual  passions,  4.  14.  Broken  faith,  theft,  robbery, 
drunkenness,  prostitution,  and  murder  are  common 
throughout  the  land.  These  social  disorders,  instead  of 
being  condemned  at  the  sanctuaries  by  the  official  repre- 
sentatives of  religion,  are  encouraged,  and  even  the  priests 
themselves  are  guilty  of  these  crimes,  6.  9.  Do  not  blame 
the  people  for  these  conditions,  says  Hosea,  4.  4-5;  they 
but  follow  the  example  of  the  priests.  The  priests  "feed 
on  the  sin  of  the  people,"  4.  8 ;  that  is,  they  encourage  the 
people  to  transgress  in  order  to  enrich  themselves  with  the 
fines  and  sacrifices  which  come  to  the  sanctuary.     These 


A  PROPHET  OF  LOVE  211 

priests,  insatiable  in  their  sensual  lusts,  4.  10,  fail  to 
exercise  a  single  element  of  their  true  vocation.  They 
rejoice  in  the  sins  of  the  people,  they  concern  themselves 
no  more  with  ascertaining  the  true  will  of  Jehovah,  they 
have  become  false  to  every  true  relation  of  life,  they  are 
hard  and  merciless,  and  the  evil  has  progressed  so  far  that 
the  whole  system  of  religion  has  ceased  to  express  any 
knowledge  or  true  relation  to  God,  4.  1. 

All  this  worship,  so  licentious  and  unjust,  usually  was 
carried  on  in  the  name  of  Jehovah.  The  Canaanitish 
names  of  deity  generally  had  disappeared.  Priests  and 
people  for  the  most  part  supposed  that  this  worship  al- 
ways had  been  the  worship  of  the  Hebrews.  There  were 
others  who  knew  that  the  agricultural  festivals  had  been 
taken  over  from  the  Canaanites  and  were  originally  rent- 
offerings  to  the  local  baals  of  the  land.  Hosea  recognizes 
no  other  deity  than  Jehovah.  He  is  the  giver  of  the  agri- 
cultural riches  of  Israel,  2.  8.  Therefore  there  is  no  need 
to  continue  this  licentious  worship,  either  as  a  recognition 
of  baals,  or  in  honor  of  Jehovah.  Hosea  knows  well  that 
this  degrading  worship  was  Canaanitish  in  origin.  He  be- 
lieved that  the  cultus  of  his  day  was  no  part  of  the  earliest 
worship  of  Jehovah.  This  is  a  fundamental  conviction  of 
Hosea.  Examine  9.  1-9.  Here  the  prophet,  in  stating 
that  certain  religious  practices  will  cease  when  Israel  is 
led  again  into  the  wilderness,  asserts  that  these  present 
expressions  of  religion  were  not  part  of  the  original  true 
worship  of  Jehovah.  These  Canaanitish  borrowings  are 
the  agricultural  sacrificial  feasts  with  their  gross  sensuality, 

9.  1-2;  the  worship  of  idols,  11.  2;  and  the  familiar  high 
places  with  all  their  accompaniments  of  unspiritual  wor- 
ship, 3.  4-5;  4.  13.  Hosea  was  assured  that  this  elaborate 
worship  of  his  day  was  a  backsliding  from  a  purer  un- 
sacrificial  worship  of  the  early  days.  In  that  glad  time 
Jehovah  knew  his  people,  13.  4,  and  was  known  by  them. 
His  will  was  made  known  to  them  through  prophets,  12. 

10,  13.  Eead  2.  14-20  and  3.  4-5.  Here  Hosea  declares 
that  Israel  is  to  be  led  again  into  the  wilderness  and  that 
there  the  present  cultus  will  be  suspended,  and  that  in 


212  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

a  simpler  fashion,  with  no  extensive  ritual  of  sacrifice  and 
festival,  Israel  v/ill  "make  answer  as  in  the  days  of  her 
yonth."  In  the  thonght  of  Hosea,  the  whole  cnltus  taken 
over  from  the  Canaanitish  worship  of  local  deities  at  the 
high  places  is  an  adulterous  disloyalty  to  Jehovah  who 
had  led  his  people  out  of  Egypt  and  established  them  in 
their  present  land.  The  sacrificial  system,  having  become 
the  abettor  of  every  social  injustice  and  essentially  sensual 
and  unspiritual,  must  pass  away.  Jehovah,  6.  6,  desires 
"mercy  and  not  sacrifice,  and  the  knowledge  of  God,  more 
than  burnt-offerings.'^ 

This  belief  in  the  Canaanitish  origin  of  the  agricultural 
festivals,  the  ritual  of  sacrifice,  and  the  furnishings  of 
the  sanctuary  led  Hosea  to  a  new  position  regarding 
images.  Former  lessons  have  called  attention  to  the  use 
of  images  by  ardent  Jehovahists;  for  example:  Judges  17. 
3;  1  Samuel  19.  13.  Examine  Hosea  2.  8;  4.  17;  8.  4-6; 
10.  5 ;  11.  2 ;  12.  11 ;  13.  1,  2 ;  14.  8,  and  state  wherein  Hosea 
differs  from  all  preceding  prophets  in  regard  to  images. 
Who  set  up  the  golden  bulls  at  Bethel  and  Dan?  How 
were  they  worshiped?  12.  11 ;  13.  2.  (The  preposition  "to" 
should  be  inserted  before  "bullocks'^  in  12.  11.) 

Political  Disorders. — Not  only  is  the  whole  sacrificial 
system  with  its  inherent  baalism  and  sensual  indulgence  an 
adulterous  disloyalty  to  Jehovah,  according  to  Hosea,  but 
also  the  political  life  of  the  kingdom,  both  in  its  foreign 
policy  and  domestic  affairs,  the  prophet  insists  is  faith- 
lessness to  Jehovah  who  had  chosen  Israel  to  be  his  people. 

(a)  International  Policies. — Compared  with  Judah,  the 
northern  kingdom  was  compelled  to  deal  freely  with  other 
nations.  Her  position  seemed  to  require  for  her  security 
political  alliance  with  other  states.  "Ephraim  mixeth  him- 
self among  the  peoples,"  is  Hosea^s  adverse  comment.  This 
foreign  policy  ended  disastrously.  "Strangers  have  de- 
voured his  strength  and  he  knoweth  it  not,'^  7.  9,  and  the 
nation  is  tottering  with  old  age  and  unconscious  fits 
of  decrepitude.  The  little  kingdom,  feeling  itself  over- 
shadowed by  Damascus,  sought  the  aid  of  Assyria  and  then, 
when  this  raider  of  the  west  pressed  the  kingdom  too  sorely. 


A  PEOPHET  OF  LOVE  213 

its  kings  sought  help  from  Egypt.  Examine  7.  11;  8.  9, 
10 ;  12. 1 ;  14.  3  and  observe  the  vacillating  policy  of  IsraePs 
kings.  These  judgments  are  borne  out  by  2  Kings  15.  9 
and  17.  4.  Hosea  holds  that  all  such  efforts  are  vain  to 
save  the  existence  of  the  state.  The  political  life  of  a 
nation  is  bound  up  with  the  moral  conditions  of  its  people. 
Luxury  was  followed  by  moral  decay  and  the  failure  to 
develop  moral  character  ended  in  political  inanity.  The 
seeking  after  foreign  alliances  indicates  that  the  sovereigns 
have  ceased  to  depend  upon  Jehovah  to  protect  and  save 
the  state. 

(b)  National  Affairs. — The  monarchy  has  failed  to  min- 
ister to  the  welfare  of  the  state.  The  rulers  of  Israel 
''love  shame/'  4.  18;  the  princes  are  the  basest  type  of 
thieves,  5.  10;  the  royal  rulers  are  not  only  incompetent 
to  correct  abuses,  13.  10,  but,  along  with  the  priests,  they 
are  responsible  for  the  social  anarchy,  5.  1.  Eead  5.  11- 
14  and  7.  3-7  for  a  picture  of  the  intrigues,  drunken  revels, 
and  anarchy  of  the  kingship  of  Israel  in  the  nation's  latter 
days.  See  Chapter  XXIII  for  a  statement  of  the  changes 
of  rulers  in  this  period. 

Hosea,  keenly  alive  to  the  moral  weakness  of  the  Israel- 
itish  kings  of  his  day,  regards  the  whole  history  of  the 
monarchy  a  defection  from  Jehovah.  Examine  closely  8. 
4  and  13.  10,  11.  Israel's  experiment  in  the  kingship  has 
been  a  failure.  The  kingship  must  end,  3.  4;  7.  7;  10.  7. 
This  view  is  in  striking  contrast  to  the  position  of  the 
prophets  in  the  past  who  did  so  much  to  father  the  king- 
ship of  Judah  and  Israel.  Hosea's  judgment  of  the  revolu- 
tion of  Jehu  is  uttered  in  the  same  strain.  Eead  1.  4-5. 
This  is  a  sharp  reversal  of  the  judgment  of  the  earlier 
prophets.    See  2  Kings  9.  14-37;  10.  30. 

The  Ultimate  Cause  of  Israel's  Ills. — Examine  atten- 
tively 2.  8;  4.  1,  6;  5.  4;  6.  6  and  consider  whether  the 
words  "Israel  does  not  know  Jehovah"  express  Hosea's 
explanation  of  the  desperate  condition  of  Israel.  If  it  is 
because  there  is  "no  knowledge  of  God  in  the  land,"  what 
is  the  source  of  this  ignorance  of  the  true  nature  and 
requirements  of  Jehovah?     Eead  13.  6.     What  has  the 


214  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

agricultural  life  of  Palestine  had  to  do  with  this  lamentable 
ignorance  of  Jehovah?  The  new  conditions  of  life  led  to 
the  multiplication  of  altars,  10.  1,  and  the  sanctuaries  be- 
came scenes  of  debauchery,  4.  13.  Priests  left  off  taking 
heed  to  the  admonitions  of  Jehovah,  4.  10,  and  forgot  the 
precepts  which  had  been  given  in  their  first  days,  4.  6. 
This  ignorance  of  Jehovah,  then,  is  a  backsliding,  14.  4; 
it  is  forgetfulness  of  the  past,  8.  14;  13.  6,  and  a  failure 
to  consider  the  loving  providence  of  Jehovah  vouchsafed 
in  the  whole  of  IsraeFs  history,  11.  1-3;  12.  9;  13.  4.  The 
student  of  the  earlier  chapters  will  see  that  Hosea  utters 
a  new  philosophy  of  IsraeFs  history.  There  was  no  sense 
of  defection  in  the  earlier  champions  of  Jehovah.  This 
new  interpretation  of  the  past  is  so  novel  and  so  significant 
that  it  must  deeply  impress  itself  upon  the  student  in 
order  that  the  Deuteronomic  historians  and  legislators  may 
be  understood.    Later  chapters  will  return  to  this  again. 

Hosea  pleads  for  a  knowledge  of  Jehovah.  Study  the 
following  references  and  state  in  each  case  what  is  meant 
by  "to  know  Jehovah":  2.  8,  9;  4.  1;  5.  6;  6.  6;  7.  14; 

8.  3 ;  10.  12.  "To  turn  to  Jehovah'^  is  to  turn  to  kindness 
and  justice,  12.  6,  to  acknowledge  past  iniquities  and  to 
pledge  amendment  of  life,  14.  2. 

The  Future  of  Israel 

Like  Amos,  Hosea  believes  that  the  destruction  of  the 
northern  kingdom  is  inevitable.  Priest  and  prince,  the 
authors  of  the  nation^s  ills,  must  perish.  The  whole  social 
order,  sick  and  wounded  with  ignorance,  vice,  crime,  and 
idolatry,  must  perish,  3.  4;  4.  6;  5.  9,  14;  8.  7;  9.  11; 
13.  8-15.  Israel  is  to  be  driven  out  of  Canaan,  9.  15,  into 
the  wilderness,  2.  3;  12.  9,  scattered  among  the  nations, 

9.  3-6,  17;  10.  6;  11.  5,  and  brought  to  the  threshold  of 
the  grave,  13.  14. 

Unlike  Amos,  Hosea  believes  that  Jehovah's  love  for 
Israel  is  so  abiding  that  he  will  not  close  the  book  of 
Israel's  history  with  national  dissolution.  When  Israel 
repents,  Jehovah  will  show  his  face  again,  5.  15;  10.  12; 
he  will  not  utterly  destroy  his  people,  11.  8,  11.     He 


A  PROPHET  OF  LOVE  215 

punishes  in  love,  2.  14;  at  last  his  love,  meeting  repentant 
Israel,  will  usher  in  the  dawn  of  a  new  age,  2.  16-23. 
Study  attentively  this  last  reference  for  the  details  of  the 
new  era. 

Hosea  clearly  perceived  the  inevitable  destruction  of  the 
northern  kingdom,  but  he  did  not  so  clearly  foresee  the 
permanent  passing  of  the  kingdom.  This  forecast  of 
Israel's  political  future  was  based,  not  upon  the  political 
strength  nor  upon  the  moral  conversion  and  rejuvenation 
of  the  state;  but  his  prediction  of  a  restored  national  life 
was  grounded  in  his  faith  in  Jehovah's  compassion  and  love. 
Hosea  apparently  did  not  clearly  grasp  the  fact  that  moral 
character  cannot  be  given  to  an  individual  or  a  people.  It 
must  be  achieved  by  men  and  women  themselves.  The 
millennium  can  never  be  a  present.  It  is  a  people's  earn- 
ings or  else  it  never  comes. 

The  Soukce  of  Hosea's  Message 

The  psychology  of  the  prophetic  consciousness  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting  studies  of  religion.  In  what  way 
does  a  man  become  able  to  say,  "Thus  saith  Jehovah"? 
In  every  case  this  awareness  of  God  grows  out  of  the  total 
experience  of  his  life.  The  prophet  lives  into  the  new  in- 
sight of  life's  meaning  and  God's  will.  The  greatest  of 
human  disasters  threw  its  painful  shadow  across  Hosea's 
life.  There  was  but  one  solvent  of  this  wretched  evil.  Love 
alone  could  reveal  to  this  faithless  woman  her  evil  deeds. 
Love  alone  could  win  her  again  to  righteous  living.  Israel 
does  not  know  Jehovah.  Ignorant  of  this  great  love,  she 
commits  with  unblushing  abandon  the  greatest  injustice 
and  most  corrupt  and  sensual  practices  in  statecraft  and 
worship.  It  is  Jehovah's  love  which  has  borne  patiently 
with  her  foolish  infatuation  with  Canaanitish  religion  and 
worldly  politics.  It  is  now  his  love  which  is  putting  the 
nation  away  from  him.  It  is  his  love  which  will  pardon 
the  nation's  disloyalty  and  will  restore  her  again  to  pros- 
perity and  to  fellowship  with  himself.  Thus  the  psy- 
chology of  Hosea's  ministry  is  the  extension  of  his  individ- 
ual grief,  compassion,  love,   and  hope  to  vaster  terms. 


216  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

Jehovah  is  at  least  as  loving  and  noble  and  hopeful  as 
himself.  God  must  be  as  good  as  man.  It  was  through 
such  spiritual  and  intellectual  processes  as  these  that  Hosea 
learned  the  tender  and  beautiful  conviction  that  Jehovah 
is  the  gracious  and  loving  Saviour  of  Israel. 

When^  God  Speaks  to  Us 

The  Greatest  Human  Interest. — It  ever  has  been  an  affair 
of  superlative  human  interest  when  men  believed  that  God 
was  speaking  to  them.  Hilltops,  groves,  fountains,  and 
caverns  where  men  have  felt  that  God  spoke  to  them,  hence- 
forth became  sacred  and  men  trod  their  precincts  in  awe 
and  veneration.  Sinai  still  lures  the  scholar  and  the 
mystic  across  the  wilderness  into  its  rugged  fastnesses,  and 
lovers  of  Greece  still  climb  the  mountain  slopes  from  the 
blue  Corinthian  gulf  to  the  ruins  of  Delphi,  the  religious 
center  of  the  ancient  Greek  world.  It  was  a  sad  day  for 
Greece  when  the  oracle  spoke  no  more.  Religion  is  kept 
alive  by  continual  revelations  from  God,  and  whenever  a 
religious  body,  an  age,  or  a  people  cease  to  receive  intima- 
tions of  the  divine  will  for  the  ruling  of  their  lives,  their 
glory  perishes. 

Our  Most  Modern  Need. — Nothing  is  so  important  to 
our  present  civilization  as  the  question  whether  God  is 
speaking  to  us  in  clear,  intimate,  and  convincing  tones. 
If  we  hear  no  more  the  guiding  voice  of  the  Most  High, 
then  the  beastly  egotism  of  commercialism  and  material- 
ism in  Europe  and  America  will  damn  and  doom  our  world 
order.  If  in  the  midst  of  the  satisfied  grunts  of  well-fed 
greed  and  expanding  foreign  markets,  and  the  inevitable 
clash  of  arms  consequent  upon  such  a  spirit,  the  Divine 
Voice  no  longer  reaches  our  souls,  then  we  are  cursed  and 
degraded  beyond  recall.  The  crux  of  religion  to-day,  the 
searching  test  of  the  church  and  the  permanence  of  our 
civilization  is  whether  the  voice  of  God  is  hushed  and  silent 
or  whether  he  is  speaking  to  us  lovingly  and  authoritatively 
still. 

When  God  Speaks  to  Us  He  Speaks  to  Us, — No  revela- 


A  PROPHET  OF  LOVE  217 

tion  of  God  to  persons  of  a  distant  age  can  keep  religion 
alive  in  our  own  souls.  If  God  speaks  to  us  modern  men, 
it  will  not  be  in  the  experience  of  men  in  far  off  times. 
It  is  of  little  practical  consequence  to  us  that  God  spoke 
to  the  prophets  of  Israel.  It  is  not  enough,  even,  that  he 
spoke  so  wonderfully  in  the  soul  of  Jesus  there  by  the  hills 
and  lake  of  Galilee.  Unless  our  own  age  hears  God's  voice, 
unless  all  succeeding  ages  are  vibrant  with  fresh  revela- 
tions of  his  will,  religion  will  die  and  civilization  will 
perish  from  the  earth.  It  is  a  speaking  Deity  alone  which 
guarantees  a  living  church.  God  must  speak  to  me  to  keep 
religion  alive  in  my  own  soul.  That  he  has  spoken  to  men 
of  other  times,  or  that  he  has  spoken  to  you  avails  me 
little  except  to  keep  alive  the  hope  that  some  day  he  will 
commune  also  with  me.  If  hope  is  not  to  die  in  me,  if 
life  is  to  grow  vigorous  with  meaning,  God  must  keep  speak- 
ing to  me  within  my  own  soul.  The  very  nature  of  reli- 
gion leads  us  to  expect  and  demand  the  revelation  of  God, 
the  voice  of  God,  the  assurance  of  God,  the  presence  of 
God  within  one's  own  soul. 


To  Be  Consideeed  by  the  Class 

1.  State  all  that  is  known  of  Hosea's  birthplace,  the  scene 
and  the  time  of  his  prophetic  activity. 

2.  In  the  light  of  the  discussion,  "The  Source  of  Hosea's 
Message,"  state  what  experiences  must  have  preceded  these 
sermons  of  Hosea. 

3.  What  is  Hosea's  fundamental  position  concerning  Israel's 
relation  to  Jehovah? 

4.  What  was  Hosea's  view  of  the  origin  of  the  sacrificial 
system  of  his  day?    Of  its  value  to  true  religion? 

5.  What  did  he  claim  was  the  primitive  manner  of  the  wor- 
ship of  Jehovah?  What  was  his  conception  of  worship  which 
Israel  in  the  future  would  render  Jehovah? 

6.  Why  did  the  priests,  who  steadily  gained  in  numbers  and 
influence,  fail  to  purify  Israel's  religion? 

7.  What  were  Hosea's  views  concerning  Israel's  foreign  state 
policy? 

8.  What  exceedingly  revolutionary  view  of  the  monarchy 
and  kingship  did  Hosea  hold? 

9.  Upon  what  belief  did  Hosea  base  the  prediction  of  the 
restoration  of  the  political  life  of  Israel? 


218  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

10.  In  what  way  does  the  failure  of  this  prediction  to  be 
realized  impair  Hosea's  contribution  to  the  world's  religion? 

11.  Summarize  Hosea's  religious  message. 

Refeeences  for  Further  Study 

W.  R.  Smith,  The  Prophets  of  Israel,  pp.  144-190. 

Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  403-422. 

Smith,  Old  Testament  History,  pp.  219-232. 

Bade,  The  Old  Testament  in  the  Light  of  To-day,  pp.  153-166. 

Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  article,  "Hosea." 


CHAPTEE  XXVI 

SUMMARY:   FROM  THE   BIRTH   OF  THE   MON- 
ARCHY TO  THE  FALL  OF  SAMARIA 

It  is  imperatively  advisable,  in  the  interests  of  the  best 
results  of  study,  to  pause  at  intervals  to  reflect  upon  the 
more  outstanding  incidents  in  the  development  of  Hebrew 
religion.  From  some  quiet  hill  summit  of  reflection,  there 
are  to  be  seen  in  greater  perspective  the  fragmentary  hap- 
penings which  have  led  the  student  onward. 

The  earlier  chapters  of  this  course  dealt  with  certain 
fundamentals  of  religion,  such  as  the  nature  of  man  and 
God,  which  permit  them  to  enter  into  communion  with 
one  another ;  the  patriarchal  history,  and  the  problems  and 
experiences  of  the  Hebrews  in  their  first  century  in  Canaan. 
We  saw  something  of  the  effect  of  agricultural  life  upon 
their  religion,  and  the  necessity  of  the  monarchy  to  prevent 
the  tribes  isolated  by  residence  and  jealousies  from  falling 
victims  of  the  older  inhabitants  of  Canaan,  the  Philistines, 
or  the  Bedouin  hordes  who  continued  to  be  attracted  by 
the  pasturages  and  barley  fields  of  Palestine.  A  second 
group  of  chapters  has  traced  the  rise  of  the  monarchy  and 
its  contribution  to  Israel's  religion,  and  the  disruption  of 
the  kingdom.  The  story  then  followed  the  northern  king- 
dom until  the  fall  of  its  capital.  This  history  has  carried 
the  narrative  through  an  important  crisis  and  brought  it 
to  the  greatest  epoch  of  Israel's  religion,  namely,  the  work 
of  the  eighth-century  prophets. 

Epochs  in  Iskael's  Religious  History 

During  these  three  centuries,  B.  C.  1025  to  B.  C.  722, 
there  are  three  events  whose  importance  requires  the  epochal 
title.  These  are  the  Rise  of  the  Monarchy,  the  Rejection 
of  Tyrian  Baalism,  and  the  Appearance  of  Ethical  Proph- 

219 


220  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

etism.  The  student  of  Hebrew  life  should  have  clearly 
defined  conceptions  of  these  events,  momentous  in  Israel, 
and  therefore  of  abiding  consequence  to  the  world. 

The  Rise  of  the  Monarchy. — Two  facts  are  to  be  borne 
in  mind :  (a)  the  absolute  necessity  for  the  nationalization 
of  the  tribes  to  preserve  the  Hebrew  from  disappearance 
among  his  Canaanitish  neighbors  and  (&)  that  the  kings 
were  chosen  and  supported  by  the  prophets,  Jehovah^s 
spokesmen  of  the  day.  The  student  needs  only  to  recall 
the  disorders,  defeats,  and  jealousies  of  Samuel's  day  to 
realize  the  service  rendered  Israel  and  the  world  by  Saul 
and  David.  Chapters  XIY  and  XV  give  the  evidence  for 
these  statements.  We  are  now  in  position  to  estimate  the 
attitude  of  those  who  wrote  under  the  sense  of  the  failure 
of  the  kingship  to  secure  the  permanent  welfare  of  the 
people.  Hosea's  belief  that  the  kingship  of  Israel  was  a 
defection  from  Jehovah  was  taken  up  and  asserted  in  more 
detail  by  the  Deuteronomic  historians;  that  is,  by  those 
historians  who  wrote  under  the  dominance  of  the  Deuter- 
onomic reforms  which  in  turn  were  inspired  by  Amos, 
Hosea,  Isaiah,  and  Micah.  For  this  late  attitude  to  the 
kingship  the  student  should  read  1  Samuel  7.  2  to  8.  22. 
Note  especially  8.  7  for  this  view  of  the  past,  and  observe 
how  utterly  it  misreads  the  times  in  which  the  monarchy 
arose. 

The  Rejection  of  Tyrian  Baalism. — This  was  a  truly 
critical  period  in  Israel's  religion.  Had  Jezebel's  propa- 
ganda succeeded,  no  one  now  could  well  say  what  would 
have  been  the  course  of  the  world's  life.  There  was  a  great 
chance  that  the  new  deity  would  enthrone  himself  in 
Israel.  It  was  not  God's  purpose,  however,  that  the  cove- 
nant religion,  which  alone  offered  opportunities  of  moral 
progress,  should  be  forgotten.  The  student  should  review 
Chapters  XXI  and  XXII,  "A  Religious  Crisis  in  Israel'' 
and  "The  Eevolution  Under  Jehu." 

Eighth-Century  Prophetism. — It  is  impossible  to  over- 
estimate the  service  which  was  rendered  mankind  by  Amos 
and  his  successors.  Chapters  XXIII-XXV  deal  with  the 
first  two  of  this  new  class  of  world-leaders.    Their  voices 


SUMMAEY  221 

have  never  been  silenced.  Every  advance  of  religion  will 
be  but  the  filling  in  of  details  in  certain  great  outlines  of 
religious  life  to  which  they  give  expression.  Compared 
with  older  prophets,  Amos  and  Hosea  struck  certain  new 
notes  in  Israel's  religion. 

(a)  The  Nature  of  the  Covenant. — The  prophets  accept 
this  traditional  statement  of  Israel's  relation  to  Jehovah. 
But  they  proclaim  the  revolutionary  doctrine  that  Jehovah 
may  break  this  covenant.     The  nation  may  be  destroyed. 

The  covenant  with  Jehovah  is  not  a  natural  covenant, 
that  is,  a  kinship  relation,  but  an  ethical  covenant,  that  is, 
based  upon  moral  considerations.  Jehovah  is  not  obligated 
to  preserve  the  integrity  of  the  nation,  said  Amos  and 
Hosea.  He  is  obligated  to  righteousness  and  love,  and 
both  motives  insist  upon  moral  life  in  Israel.  Apart  from 
Israel's  moral  life  there  is  no  reason  for  national  existence. 
The  preaching  of  national  destruction  is  a  new  note  in 
Israel.  All  former  prophets  preached  national  aggrandize- 
ment. It  is  the  presence  of  inadequate  and  limited  views 
of  Jehovah,  the  state  and  worship,  which  gives  rise  to  the 
new  definition  and  denunciation  of  sin. 

( 6 )  Hosea' s  Philosophy  of  History. — It  is  to  be  observed 
that  neither  Amos  nor  Hosea  makes  any  appeal  to  a  Sinaitic 
legislation  which  has  been  neglected  or  disobeyed.  Hosea 
does  state  that  thoughtful  men  should  have  discovered  the 
spiritual  nature  and  loving  concern  of  Jehovah  from  the 
facts  of  Israel's  history.  In  this  belief  Hosea  denounces 
both  the  cultus  and  the  kingship  of  Israel.  The  worship 
is  a  Canaanitish  borrowing  and  the  political  organization 
is  LjI  egotistical  and  anarchic  falling  away  from  Jehovah. 
The  importance  of  this  view  of  the  political  history  is  dis- 
cussed above.  Students  will  recall  that  the  book  of  Kings 
frequently  denounces  the  sins  of  Jeroboam,  the  son  of 
Nebat,  and  that  the  author  of  Judges  and  Samuel  con- 
demns the  worship  at  the  sanctuaries.  Such  condemnation 
belongs  to  Hosea  and  to  the  prophets,  Deuteronomic  legis- 
lators, and  historians  who  followed  him.  Hosea  created  a 
new  interpretation  of  the  nation's  past,  and  his  view  domi- 
nates the  whole  Old  Testament. 


222  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

Incidents  of  Note  in  These  Three  Centuries. — The  stu- 
dent should  be  able  to  say  something  intelligent,  and  with 
some  detail,  concerning  the  following  events  and  their 
bearing  upon  Hebrew  religion : 

1.  The  capture  of  the  Jebusite  stronghold  at  Jerusalem. 

2.  The  overemphasis  of  the  monarchy  in  Solomon. 

3.  The  building  of  the  temple. 

4.  AhaVs  alliance  with  Tyre. 

5.  The  revolution  under  Jehu. 

6.  Israel's  relations  with  Damascus. 

7.  The  rise  of  Assyria  to  power. 

8.  The  fall  of  Samaria. 

The  Religious  Advance 

The  Service  of  the  Prophets. — We  have  already  seen  that 

before  the  time  of  Saul,  Jehovahism  had  borrowed  the 
sanctuaries  and  the  ritual  of  the  Canaanites,  among  whom 
the  new  religion  had  made  its  home.  There  has  been  proof 
enough  that  this  fused  worship  was  incapable  of  moral 
progress.  It  required  a  new  element  to  carry  forward  the 
development  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  This  new  factor  is 
prophetism.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  the  champions  of 
Jehovah  borrowed  this  also  from  the  Canaanite.  But  in 
the  course  of  time  prophetism,  under  the  guidance  of  God, 
became  the  means  of  lifting  Hebrew  religion  into  its  glori- 
ous leadership  of  the  world.  Amos  and  Hosea  brought  to 
mankind  three  distinct  religious  triumphs  of  faith  and 
revelation. 

They  brought  to  Israel  a  vision  of  character  in  God. 
Earlier  prophets  had  a  partial  trust  that  Jehovah  would 
deal  justly  with  his  people,  but  it  was  first  of  all  in  the 
soul  of  the  eighth-century  prophets  that  it  was  established 
that  moral  character  is  the  fundamental  factor  in  the 
divine  nature. 

These  same  prophets  brought  to  men  the  sense  of  the 
oneness  of  Deity.  Dagon,  Melkart,  Chemosh,  and  Ammon 
were  realities  for  the  people  and  the  earlier  prophets  of 
Israel.     From  Amos  on,  the  prophet  knows  that  there  is 


SUMMARY  223 

no  division  in  the  divine  government  of  the  world.  Jehovah 
alone  is  Creator  and  Ruler  of  earth  and  heaven. 

They  proclaimed  that  the  prophet-consciousness  of  God 
is  the  only  true  type  of  religion.  Unless  the  individual 
stands  in  such  immediate  relation  to  God  that  his  will  is 
known  directly  within  the  soul  of  the  worshiper,  there  can 
be  no  vital  religion.  The  secrets  of  Jehovah  are  not  hidden 
from  such  men.  It  is  this  immediateness  of  experience, 
this  living  touch  with  God,  which  gave  the  prophets  their 
moral  vision  and  their  positiveness  of  message.  One  needs 
only  to  read  Amos  and  Hosea  to  see  that  something  new 
has  dawned  in  the  world^s  religion.  It  is  the  consciousness 
of  God  indwelling  in  the  soul  of  man. 

Prophet  versus  Priest. — It  is  this  new  conception  of 
religion  as  an  unmediated  experience  of  God  in  the  human 
soul  which  accounts  for  the  break  of  prophetic  religion 
with  priestly  religion  everywhere  observable  in  the  Old 
Testament.  The  priest  is  the  custodian  of  the  organized, 
the  traditional,  the  orthodox,  the  customary.  Centuries  of 
accumulation  are  behind  him,  and  no  matter  how  much  of 
it  is  rubbish,  the  new  worshiper  must  accept  the  old  doc- 
trines. Seldom  has  any  new  and  splendid  development 
of  life  come  through  the  priesthood.  It  is  the  citadel  of 
traditions.  It  loves  the  habitual  because  it  is  familiar.  The 
priest  regards  himself  a  paladin  of  the  past.  The  altar 
and  the  ritual  of  the  fathers  are  to  be  preserved.  The  priest 
never  is  tried  for  heresy.  He  does  not  deal  in  futures. 
He  never  hurries  his  times.  He  never  disturbs  the  privi- 
leged classes.  He  fights  no  battles  to  win  a  larger  empire 
for  religion.  He  makes  no  new  moral  demands.  He  is 
content  with  the  robe  and  crown  which  have  graced  his 
fathers.  Religion  to-day  might  be  a  living  power  in  un- 
numbered thousands  of  men  now  bankrupt  in  the  life  of  the 
Spirit  had  its  ordained  representatives  taken  vows  of  lead- 
ership rather  than  custodianship  of  flickering  flames  on 
ancient  altars. 

The  greatest  element  of  the  Old  Testament  is  its  prophet- 
ism.  The  Jewish  Scriptures  would  not  be  the  vital  book 
it  is  to-day  if  the  sermons  of  the  prophets  were  not  em- 


224  THE  EELIGION  OF  ISEAEL 

bodied  in  it.  These  men  anathematized  Hebrew  sacrifice 
and  festival  approved  by  the  priests.  Men  did  not  see 
Jehovah^s  ethical  nature  in  the  ritual^  nor  did  they  vision 
the  moral  obligations  of  life  before  his  altars.  The 
prophets  aroused  the  conscience  of  Israel.  They  pro- 
claimed the  justice,  love,  and  moral  holiness  of  God.  They 
assured  their  countrymen,  contrary  to  priestly  teaching, 
that  Jehovah  would  cast  them  off  unless  they  lived  right- 
eous lives,  "For  I  desire  goodness,  and  not  sacrifice,"  was 
Jehovah^s  message  in  the  prophetic  soul.  The  prophets  of 
Israel  were  great  men.  It  is  impossible  to  overestimate 
them.  They  were  solitary  voices  lifted  unweariedly  in  an 
age  of  gross  sensualism  to  proclaim  the  grandeur  of  the 
moral  life.  Their  message  is  an  eternal  message  of  reli- 
gion. Whenever  religion  bursts  the  bonds  of  ritual  and 
escapes  into  the  freedom  of  comradeship  with  God,  it  has 
blossomed  again  into  glory  in  prophetic  souls. 

When  God  Speaks  to  Us 

The  Most  Needed  Emphasis. — There  is  no  emphasis  in 
religion  so  sorely  needed  to-day  as  the  insistence  that  we 
moderns  do  stand  on  communicable  terms  with  God.  It 
is  very  easy  to  assume  that  God  has  spoken  in  times  past 
but  that  he  speaks  no  more.  The  miracles  all  seem  to 
have  happened  in  former  generations.  But  if  you  do  not 
cling  to  the  hope  that  God  will  communicate  his  will  with- 
in your  own  soul  in  unmistakable  terms,  then  religion  is 
sure  to  sink  to  a  dull  routine  of  reciting  the  creeds  and 
experiences  of  the  ages  that  are  gone.  The  fire  will  die  out 
of  your  soul  and  you  will  seek  to  warm  yourself  in  vain 
by  the  ashes  of  the  fires  which  have  burned  in  the  life  of 
a  bygone  age.  Men  are  deprived  of  strength  to-day  through 
the  belief  that  God  does  not  speak  to  us.  There  are  two 
men  who  are  so  disturbed.  The  first  one  of  them  looks 
back  to  childhood  or  to  the  joyous  experience  of  conversion 
as  the  ideal  time  of  communion  with  God.  Then  in  those 
innocent  days  or  in  that  glad  hour  he  knew  that  God  had 
spoken  to  him,  but  now  he  feels  the  joy  of  that  rare  com- 


SUMMAKY  225 

munion  only  at  widening  intervals  or  not  at  all.  This  is 
a  false  relation  to  God.  God  is  no  nearer  a  child  than 
to  a  man.  As  we  grow  more  mature  God  changes  the  con- 
tent of  his  message  and  the  mode  of  its  communication. 
But  he  still  speaks  to  us,  and  we  may  hear  him  if  we  will. 

"  Then  there  is  the  man  who  never  has  been  on  intimate 
terms  with  God.  He  believes  in  God,  believes  in  moral 
obligations,  but  there  is  no  intimate  communion;  no  in- 
timate feeling  that  he  really  has  come  face  to  face  with  his 
heavenly  Father.  Only  yesterday  I  met  this  man.  He 
says  that  his  church  experience  has  not  been  satisfactory 
to  him ;  that  when  a  young  man,  he  united  with  the  church ; 
that  he  has  done  what  he  has  been  told  to  do  in  religious 
matters,  has  prayed  faithfully  and  practiced  the  moral 
virtues.    But  at  no  time  has  he  felt  that  God  answered  him. 

The  Way  in  Which  God  Speaks  to  Us.— Such  broken 
communications  with  God  take  place  because  we  forget  the 
one  method  by  which  God  can  speak  to  us.  We  are  sen- 
tient beings.  Our  life  consists  in  thoughts,  feelings,  ex- 
pressions of  will;  in  beliefs,  ideas,  longings,  ideals.  To 
speak  to  us  conscious,  thinking,  reasoning,  dreaming  beings, 
God  must  communicate  his  love  and  his  will  in  feelings, 
in  beliefs,  in  ideas  and  ideals.  This  is  the  only  way  in 
which  he  can  speak  to  us.  This  is  the  only  way  in  which 
one  personal  being  can  cross  the  boundaries  of  another's 
soul. 

The  Contents  of  a  Divine  Revelation. — What  are  God's 
supreme  interests  in  our  human  society?  Surely,  God 
ever  seeks  the  progress  of  a  finer  world-order  on  earth. 
The  kingdom  for  which  Christ  labored  is  a  kingdom  of 
pure  and  unselfish  social  living.  It  is  an  ideal  society 
of  just,  sympathetic  and  enlightened  men  and  women 
mutually  devoted  to  a  common  welfare  and  finding  the 
inspiration  of  their  lives  in  fellowship  with  God.  If  this 
is  the  goal  of  God,  when  he  speaks  to  man  he  speaks  of 
these  things.  God's  speaking  to  us  is  not  to  be  tested  by 
the  intensity  or  the  number  of  our  inward  thrills.  We 
may,  indeed,  enjoy  rare  times  of  exalted  feeling.  But 
unless  the  transfigured  hour  ends  in  clearer  insight  and 


226  THE  EELIGIOlSr  OF  ISEAEL 

more  power  to  infuse  life  with  the  ideals  and  the  practice 
of  truth,  justice,  and  love,  the  vision  has  been  in  vain. 
When  God  speaks  to  a  man  it  is  not  only  to  draw  him  into 
the  divine  fellowship,  it  is  also  to  make  him  a  more 
dynamic  person  in  the  heroic  task  of  reconstructing  the 
social  order. 

Voices  of  God. — Therefore  when  you  love  truth  above 
all  things,  when  you  dedicate  yourself  to  it,  rest  your  hope 
in  it  and  cleave  to  it  at  any  sacrifice,  God  is  speaking  to 
you  in  intimate  terms.  The  evidence  of  a  divine  prompt- 
ing is  the  urging  toward  holiness.  Goodness  is  God's  high- 
est aim,  and  the  progress  of  goodness  is  the  work  of  God. 
Any  flash  in  you,  no  matter  how  it  comes,  which  points 
the  way  and  presses  the  obligation  of  righteous  living,  is 
the  voice  of  God  in  you.  To  accept  within  you  the  au- 
thority of  the  good,  to  recognize  the  claims  of  goodness, 
purity  and  love;  to  feel  that  you  are  called  to  be  a  moral 
being ;  to  bow  to  this  ideal  law — this  is  God  within  you. 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  say  anything  adequate  about  the 
revelation  of  God  in  a  man's  loyalty  to  duty.  Never  yet 
have  men  gone  forth  to  follow  a  challenging  duty  to  con- 
flicts, crusades,  martyrdoms  who  did  not  discover  that  they 
were  walking  the  highways  of  God.  We  may  not  always 
discern  the  goal  toward  which  duty  leads  us;  our  heroism 
may  be  enlisted  in  an  unworthy  cause;  selfish  leaders  may 
use  our  devotion  for  their  personal  advantage;  but  those 
who  put  aside  the  flowers,  the  music,  and  the  restful 
slumber  to  toil  in  weariness  and  pain  for  some  haloed  duty 
are  following  what  is  for  them  a  prompting  from  on  high. 

Then,  too,  God  speaks  in  the  life  where  sympathy  is 
cultivated.  To  speak  with  accents  of  sweetness  and  sun- 
shine, to  live  cheerfully,  to  show  tenderness  toward  all 
frailty,  to  bear  patiently  with  the  ignorant,  to  keep  the 
doors  of  charity  open  toward  the  unfortunate,  to  look  out 
into  the  world  and  breathe  endless  goodwill  toward  every 
creature,  is  to  keep  oneself  very  close  to  the  whispering 
God.  Just  to  be  a  good  friend,  a  good  neighbor,  to  be  the 
unwearied  lover  of  the  loveless  and  the  lowly  is  to  draw 
one's  life  from  the  living  treasury  of  God. 


SUMMARY  227 


The  Gist  of  the  Lesson 

1.  What  was  the  early  prophetic  attitude  toward  the  mon- 
archy? What  was  Hosea's  conviction  concerning  the  ruler- 
ship  of  the  king?  In  what  momentous  way  did  his  view  in- 
fluence subsequent  Hebrew  opinion?  To  what  extent  was 
Hosea's  criticism  of  the  religious  value  of  the  monarchy  justi- 
fied by  events? 

2.  What  would  have  been  the  probable  course  of  Hebrew 
religion,  had  Tyrian  baalism  not  been  crushed  in  Israel? 

3.  What  political  and  social  conditions  compelled  a  new 
type  of  prophetic  leadership? 

4.  What  estimate  was  placed  by  Amos  and  Hosea  upon  the 
religious  value  of  the  cultus?  Upon  its  origin?  To  what  extent 
were  their  views  historically  sound?  What  is  the  evidence 
that  they,  in  their  own  religious  life,  definitely  broke  with 
the  sacrificial  system?  To  what  extent  did  they  concede  the 
necessity  of  any  sacrifice  of  agricultural  products  or  animals? 
What  did  religion  mean  to  them? 

5.  Why  is  this  prophetic  type  of  religion  the  only  true  kind? 
What  is  the  essence  of  religion?  In  what  ways  does  God  speak 
to  us? 

Stimulating  Discussions 

Marti,  Religion  of  the  Old  Testament,  pp.  72-142,  147-159. 

Addis,  Hebrew  Religion,  pp.  78-168. 

Smith,  The  Religion  of  Israel  pp.  63-146. 

Hastings,  Dictionary  of  the  BiMe,  Volume  V,  pp.  634-692. 


INDEX  TO  TOPICS 


The  letter  f  indicates  that  the  reference  extends  to  the  next  page; 
the  letters  ff  that  it  includes  two  or  more  following  pages. 


Abner,  131 

Abraham,  call  of,  33,  faith  of ,36f . 

Adversity,  discipline  of,  51f. 

Ahab,  kmg  of  Israel,  171;  alli- 
ance with  Tyre,  172f.;  do- 
mestic policy  of,  173 

Altars,  earliest  Hebrew,  95;  nu- 
merous to  Jehovah,  173;  to 
Chemosh  and  Molech,  160; 
right  of  asylum  at,  143 

Ammonites,  120 

Amos,  87f.,  191,  194f.,  197;  his 
service  to  religion,  203f. 

Ark,  75f.,  94,  96,  123;  recovered 
from  Philistines,  133;  in  Tem- 
ple, 158 

Asherah,  185 

Assyria,  189f.,  193,  209 

Asylum,  right  of,  143 

Autocracy,  failure  of,  153f. 

Avenger  of  blood,  144 

BaaUsm,  Tyrian,  172f. 

Baals,  gods  of  Canaanites,  93f; 

worshiped  by  Hebrews,  94f . 
Battles  of  Jehovah,  113,  140f. 
Bedouin,  98 
Bethel,  167 
Blessing  of  Moses,  202 
Bulls,  images  of  Jehovah,  167f . 

Canaanites,  religion  of,  86,  103; 

influence  upon  Hebrews,  94f., 

103,  184f.,  211f. 
Chemosh,  160 
Climate,    effect    upon    religion, 

84f.,  89 
Codes  of  law,  earliest,  67-72 
Commandments,  66ff.;  modern, 


Conquest  of  Canaan,  92f. 


Covenant,  idea  of  in  religion,  19, 
62f.,  64,  102;  between  Jehovah 
and  Israel,  60f.,  98,  102; 
prophetic  conception  of,  221 

Creation,  of  world,  21f.;  of 
man,  21f. 

Dan,  sanctuary  of  Israel,  167 
David,  106;  kmg,  130;  captures 

Jerusalem,     132;    wars    with 

Philistines,     134;     character, 

134f.,     141;    idealization    of, 

136,  140 
Day  of  Jehovah,  193,  203 
Days  of  creation,  20f. 
Dead,  sacrifices  to,  103 
Deborah,  93;  song  of,  16,  84. 
Decalogue,  66ff. 
Democracy  of  prophets,    175f.y 

194 
Development  in  religion,  70-72, 

106;  in  morals,  169 
Dreamers,  need  of,  44f. 
Dreams,  a  mode  of  revelation, 

125,  160 

Egypt,  Israel  in,  42;  oppression 

of     Israel,    48f.;    deliverance 

from,  54f. 
Eli,  96 
Ehjah,  94;  opposes  Ahab,  172f.; 

attacks  Tyrian  baalism,  173; 

service  to  religion,  176f. 
Elisha,  183 
Environment,     influence     upon 

character,  89 
Ephod,  96f. 
Epochs    in    Israelitish    history, 

219f. 
Exodus,  55,  57 


229 


230 


INDEX  TO  TOPICS 


Faith,  36f.;  want  of,  38 

Fall,  story  of,  27f . 

Feasts:  unleavened  bread,  69, 
97;  weeks,  86,  97;  harvest,  86, 
97;  religious  significance  of, 
86;  borrowed  from  Canaan- 
ites,  97;  sacrificial  character 
of,  115f. 

Foundation-sacrifices,  103 

Friendship,  137 

Gideon,  93,  96 

God,  early  Hebrew  idea  of  93f.; 

patience  of,  107f . 
Gods,  owners  of  land,  91f.,  98, 

106,  185 
Gods  of  Canaanites  eclipsed,  144 
Guilds  of  prophets,  182,  188f., 

191 

Harvest,  feast  of,  86,  97 

Hebrews:  migration  to  Egypt, 
39f.;  sojourn  in  Egypt,  46f.; 
religious  life  in  Egypt,  48;  a 
unique  people,  13;  social  in- 
timacy with  Canaanites,  103; 
with  Philistines,  113 

High  places,  85;  Israelitish 
shrines,  95;  furniture  of,  176; 
no  condemnation  of  in  early 
Israel,  116,  160,  168,  173;  in 
times  of  Amos,  204 

Hobab,  54 

Horeb,  60f. 

Hosea,  194,  208f . ;  his  conception 
of  history,  211f.,  214f.,  221 

Idolatry,    not    condemned    by 

early  prophets,  168,  176;  view 

of  Hosea,  212 
Images,  69,  96,  167f. 
Ingathering,  feast  of,  97, 168 
Inspiration,  117,  201f.,  215f. 
Isaac,  sacrifice  of,  35 
Ishbosheth,  131 
Israel:  unique  consciousness  of, 

16;  Jehovah's  choice  of,  17f.; 

mission    of,    17;    sojourn    in 
■  Egypt,  47f.;  conquest  of  Ca- 


naan, 92f.;  relations  with  sur- 
rounding nations,  165f.,  172 

Jabesh-Gilead,  122f.,  131 
Jehovah:  origin  of  worship  of, 
55f.,    184;  resident  at  Sinai, 

94,  106,  185;  national  God  of 
Israel,  93f.;  owner  of  Canaan, 

95,  106;  images  of,  96,  167f.; 
battles  of,  113,  140f.;  patience 
with  Israel,  105f.;  conception 
of  in  times  of  Solomon,  159f . 

Jacob,  39 

Jehu,  revolution  under,  179; 
supported  by  prophets,  179f., 
181f.;  foreign  policy  of,  180f.; 
Hosea's  judgment  of,  213 

Jephthah,  96 

Jeroboam  I,  166 

Jeroboam  II,  189f. 

Jerusalem,  92;  captured  by 
David,  132;  adorned  by  Sol- 
omon, 149f. 

Jesus  of  Nazareth,  90 

Jethro,  54f.,  56 

Jezebel,  172f. 

Jonadab  ben  Rechab,  183f . 

Jonah  ben  Amittai,  191 

Jonathan,  121,  124 

Joseph,  54f.,  56 

Justice,  aim  of  prophets,  175f . 

Kenites,  183f. 

Kingdom  of  God,  meaning  of, 
13f.;  development  of,  14f.,  18; 
influence  of  monarchy  upon, 
116f.,  140f. 

Kingdom  of  Solomon,  disrup- 
tion of,  163f. 

Knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  27f . 

Lot,  sacred,  96f.;  in  charge  of 

priests,  124f. 
Luxury  in  Northern  Kingdom, 

189f. 

Man;  creation  of,  21;  nature  of, 
22f.,  104;  image  of  God,  24f., 


INDEX  TO  TOPICS 


231 


104;  fall  of,  27f.;  place  in 
universe,  23f. 

Mazzebah,  176,  185 

Melkart,  172,  180 

Micaiah  ben  Imlah,  175f. 

Michal,  131 

Midian,  54 

Midianites,  93 

Militarism,  of  Solomon,  148f.; 
righteousness  of,  186f. 

Molech,  106 

Monarchy,  attitude  toward, 
113f.;  demanded  by  prophets, 
122f.;  function  in  Hebrew  re- 
ligion, 114,  140f.;  Hosea's 
view  of,  213 

Monotheism,  beginnings  of,  201f . 

Morality,  grounded  in  religion, 
204-206 

Moses,  54;  his  contribution  to 
religion,  56;  mission  of,  55; 
nature  of  his  genius,  56,  102 

Nathan,  142f. 

Nomadic  life,  98 

Northern  Kingdom,  established, 
163f.;  kings  of,  171f.;  inter- 
national problems,  212f. 

Omri,  king  of  Israel,  172 

Palestine,  physical  features,  83; 
influence  upon  religion,  84,  86 ; 
climate,  84f.;  fertility,  85;  con- 
quest of  by  Israel,  92f. 

Pharaoh,  55f. 

Philistines:  obstacle  to  Hebrew 
nationality,  113,  117;  David's 
wars  with,  132f. 

Priest :  not  primarily  a  sacrificial 
person  in  early  Israel,  96,  115; 
in  charge  of  sacred  lot,  124; 
service  to  religion,  222 

Prophets  and  Prophetism:  be- 
ginnings of,  115,  117;  patriot- 
ism of,  117,  122,  193;  seek 
social  justice,  175,  194;  schools 
of,  175,  182f.,  188,  194;  char- 


acteristics of  prophetism,  222- 
224;  false  prophets,  175f. 
Prosperity,    meaning    of,     153; 
evils  of,   52,   189f.;  influence 
upon  religion,  203f. 

Rechabites,  183f. 

Reform  prompted  by  religion, 
119 

Rehoboam,  164 

Religion:  function  of,  53;  of 
Israel  in  Egypt,  48;  develop- 
ment of,  71f.;  Hebrew  influ- 
enced by  Canaanites,  185;  be- 
fore Amos,  192f.;  prophetic 
conception  of,  204f.,  206 

Revelation-  reality  of,  63;  modes 
of,  125f.,  141ff.,  200f.,  215- 
217;  224r-226 

Revolt  of  northern  tribes,causes 
of,  163ff. 

Sabbath,  67,  70,  79ff. 

Sacrifices:  human,  35,  69,  96, 
103;  animal,  95f.;  agricultural 
products,  69,  96,  103;  Ca- 
naanitish,  96,  103;  to  dead, 
103;  foundation,  103;  com- 
mon mode  of  worship,  95; 
officiating  person,  96,  115f., 
126;  spiritual  value  of,  99; 
prophetic  idea  of,  204f.,  210f. 

Sanctuaries,  103 

Samuel,  111;  position  in  Israel, 
112 

Saul,  106;  choice  of  as  king, 
114f.;  kingship  of,  120f.,  126f.; 
character  of,  121ff. 

Sin,  29f.,  31 

Sinai,  location,  60;  command- 
ments given  at,  70 

Sisera,  93 

Slavery,  190 

Social  justice,  aim  of  prophets, 
174f.;  want  of  in  Northern 
Kingdom,  190;  demanded  by 
Amos,  204f. 

Sojourn,  in  Egypt,  47;  memories 
of,  oOf. 


232 


INDEX  TO  TOPICS 


Solomon:  tyranny  of,  147f.,  164; 
militarism  of,  148f.;  a  builder, 
149;  alliances  of,  150;  domes- 
tic policy,  151f.;  wisdom  of, 
155ff. 

Stephen,  16f. 

Taboo  in  connection  with  war, 
120,  144 

Tekoa,  87,  191,  198f.,  200f. 

Ten  Commandments,  66f. 

Tent  of  Meeting,  76 

Temple:  site,  157;  plans,  ma- 
terials, size,  157f.;  early  use 
of,  159f. 

Teraphim,  96 

Trees,  magic,  27f.;  sacred,  34, 
85,  123;  mode  of  revelation, 
143 

Tribes,  political  weakness  of, 
112f. 


Tyre,  alliance  with  Israel,  172 
Tyrian  baalism,  172f. 

Unleavened  Bread,  feast  of,  97 
Urim  and  Thummim,  125 

Vows,  made  at  shrines,  97;  sanc- 
tity of,  116 

Wealth,  uses  of,  161 

Weeks,  feast  of,  86,  97 

Wisdom,  Hebrew  ideal  of,  155; 
of  Solomon,  155f;  nature  of, 
162 

Woman,  man's  property,  70 

Worship,  modes  of,  95f,  126, 
143;  in  Northern  Kingdom, 
185,  203f,  210f,  denounced  by 
Amos,  204;  prophetic  idea  of, 
205,  210f. 


INDEX  TO  SCRIPTURE  PASSAGES 


PAGE 

Genesis 

1.26-30 21 

1.26,27 22 

2.4-8,  18-25 25 

2.9,  15-17 27 

3.  1-24 28 

3.  19 29 

3 27 

12.  1-9 33 

12.  6 85 

12.  10-20 34 

13 34 

15.  13,  16 48 

22 35 

28.  1-17 125 

34.30 50 

37.  2,  11,  20,  31 41 

37.3,  11,  12-14,33-35....  40 

38.  1 50 

39.  1-20 14 

39  to  47 40 

40.  1-21 41 

41 41 

42.  21 41 

42.36-38 40 

43.  11-14 40,41 

44.30-34 41 

45.5,7-9 41 

45.  10 47 

45.26-28 40 

46.  1-7,  28-30 40 

47.6 47 

47.7-10,28-31 40 

48.  1-22 40 

50.  16-18 41 

50.20 41 

Exodus 

1.5,6,9,15-22 47 

1.8,  9,  11,  14 48 

1.  11 49 

2.  1-10 47 


PAGE 

Exodus  (continued) 

2.  1-22 54 

3.  1-12 54 

3.  1,4-6,  13-15 55 

3.  7,  16 51 

3.7-10,  16-18 48 

3.8 61 

3.  16,  22 47 

4.  31 48 

5.6-9 48 

5.  20-22 55 

6.  2,  9,  12 55 

8.22 47 

8.25,26 48 

8.26 55 

9.26 47 

10.24 47 

10.8-11,24 55 

11.2 47 

12.  13,  37 47 

12.  30-32 55 

12.  40 48 

14.2-21,23-28 56 

14.  31 55 

18.  10-12 54 

18.  13-22 77 

18 55 

19.4 63 

18.4-6 61 

19 60 

19 185 

20.3-17 68 

20.  22,  23 71 

20.24-26 15 

20.24,25 95 

20 70,78 

20  to  23 66 

22.29,30 86 

23.  16 97 

24.3-8 61 

28.6-35 97 

233 


234 


INDEX  TO  SCRIPTUEE  PASSAGES 


PAGE 

Exodus  (continued) 

31.  12-14 79 

33.  1-3,  12,  15-17 106 

33.  7-11 77 

33.  12-17 94 

34.  1-4,  10,  27-37 68 

34.27,28 71 

34.28 67 

34 66,69,70 

35.  1-3 79 

Leviticus 

23.3 79 

23.34 167 

Numbers 

10.29 54 

10.33-36 75 

10.35,36 133 

10.35 185 

11.  16,  17,  24 77 

12.5 77 

14.42,44 76 

23.22 168 

24.8 168 

26.59 48 

Deuteronomy 

4.20 50 

5.  1-22 67,71 

5 66,67,70,78 

10.  1-5 75 

11.  10-17 84 

11.  13-17 85 

16.  1-8,  10 97 

16.  9-15 86 

31.  15 77 

32.8-14,31 16 

32.9-14 85 

32 17 

33.2 94,185 

33.  12-16,24-29 85 

33.26-29 202 

Joshua 

6.6,8 76 

8.  31 95 

15.63 92 

18.6-10 76 

24.  14 55 


PAGE 

Judges 

1.  1-3,  8,  9,  16,  27-35....  92 

2.  1 95 

2.4,5 97 

2.8 24 

2.  11 94 

3.6 92 

3.31 113 

5.  2,  3,  31 17 

5.  3-5,  11,  13,  23,  31 16 

5.4 106 

5.  4,  5,  8 94 

5.4-6 185 

5.8 113 

5 84,93 

5.24 184 

6.7-10 51 

6.22-24 97 

6.24,  26,  28,  32 95 

6.25,30 94 

6  to  8 93 

8.24-27 96,97 

8.  31 , 92 

9.6-27 86 

9.  9,  13 96 

9.9,27 97 

9.27 86 

10.  6 113 

11.  11,  30 97 

11.  30-39 96 

13.  19 95,96 

14.  1-3 92 

14  to  16 93 

17.  1-5 96 

17.3 94,212 

17.6 116 

18.  1 116 

18.30,31 95 

19.  1 116 

21.  19,  21 97 

21.21 86 

21.25 116 

1  Samuel 

1.  1-28 Ill 

1.3 97 

1.4 96 

1.3-5,  14 116 

1.14. 86 


INDEX  TO  SCRIPTURE  PASSAGES 


235 


PAGE 

1  Samuel  (continued) 

2.  11,  18-21,26 Ill 

2.  12-17,22 116 

2.  13-17 96 

2.  18 97 

3.  1-21 Ill 

3.3 76 

3 112 

4.5-8 133 

4.7,22 76 

4 113 

7.2-13,  15,  17 112 

7.  13 113 

7.  2  to  8.  22 220 

8.  1,  6 112 

8.  1-22 113 

8.7 220 

8.  10-18 164 

9.  1-10,  16 114,120 

9.6-27 112 

9.  11-14,22-25 116 

9.20 115 

10.  1-7,9-16 112 

10.  1-7,  10,  16,  19-24 114 

10.5,6,10-13 115 

10.5,  17-27 113 

10.  10 120 

10.  12 117 

10.  17-19 51 

11.  1-11 115 

11.  1-11,  15 114,120 

11.6,7 124 

12.  1-6,  19,23 112 

12.  10 94 

13.2-7,  15-18 121 

13.2-7,  15-18,23 120 

13.6 112 

13.  17,  18 113 

14.  1-46,52 120,121 

14.3 96 

14.  3,  6,  10-12,  23,  34,  35, 

37,  39-43 124 

14.3,  18,36-42 125 

14.24-30,32,  33,35,37.  .126 

14.52 113 

16.  14-16 121,124 

16 120 

17.1-11 121 


PAGE 

1  Samuel  (continued) 

18.  12 124 

18.  12,  17 121 

18.  17 113 

19.  13 212 

20.6 97 

20.  18,24-29 126 

21.3-7 125 

21.9 96 

22.2,7,8,  14-18 121 

22 141 

23.2-4,  10-12 141,142 

23.  6 96 

25.28 185 

26.  19 93,106,204 

28.6 121,125 

29.  1,2 122 

30.8 141,142 

30.  26 141 

30.26-31 130 

31.  1-13 122 

31.  12,  13 123 

2  Samuel 

1.  12 140 

1.  16 146 

1.  19-27 123,135 

2.  1 141,142 

2.  1-4 130 

2.4 140 

2.5-7 131 

3.7-11,  17-22,27-30 131 

3.  18 140 

3.27-30 144 

3.28 146 

3.28,35 141 

4.9 141 

4.  12 146 

5.  1-3 131 

5. 3    .        .  95 

5!  2,' 3,' 20,*  24.".' .'.'."!.'!."!!  140 

5.6-10 132 

5.  12,  19,20,23 141 

5.  17-25 132 

5.  19,  23,  24 142 

5.  21-25 133 

6.  1-23 133 

6.  1-19,21 141 

6.  14,  17 76 


236 


INDEX  TO  SCEIPTUKE  PASSAGES 


PAGE 

2  Samuel  (continued) 

6.  17 77 

6.21 140,141 

8.2 148 

8.3-7 172 

8.  18 168 

9  to  12 134 

9  to  20 133 

10.  12 141 

11.2-27 134 

12.  1-9,  13-15 142 

12.  1-15 202 

12.5,  22 141 

13.21 134 

14.  11 141 

14.  13 140 

15.7-12 143 

15.  21-23,  24,  32-37 135 

15.24 141 

15.29 75 

16.8 141 

17.8-10 134 

17.27 148 

18.  12-14 134 

19.  1-6,31-39 135 

19.  11 141 

19.21 140 

19.40-43 163 

20.  1-22 163 

20.9,  10 134 

21.  1-9 144 

23.  14 132 

1  Kings 

1.  29f.,  47 141 

1.32-40 134 

1.50 143 

2.  13-26,28-34 147 

2.28,  34 148 

2.  28 143 

2.36-46 148 

3.1 150 

3.4 95,  168 

3.4,  5 125 

3.4-28 156 

4.2-6,7-19,22-24 151 

4.  9-20 149 

4.29-34 156 

5.1  to  6.  11 150 


PAGE 

1  Kings  (continued) 

5.  13-18 151 

6.2-7,  15-35 158 

7.  1-12 149 

7.8 150 

7.  13-51 158 

7.25,29 168 

8.  1-9,  12 76 

8.5 77 

8.  12,  13 159 

8.  51 50 

9.  10-16,24,26-28 150 

9.  11-14 156 

9.  15,  18,  19 148 

9.  16 165 

9.  19 149 

9.20-22 151 

9.22 122 

10.4-10,  24 156 

10.  17-20,26 149 

10.26 148 

11.  1-8,27 150 

11.8 160 

11.  14-40 152 

11.23-25 172 

11.26-31,40 166 

11.28 150 

11.40 165 

12.  1-16,24 165 

12.  1-20 166 

12.6-11 ...164 

12.  16 163 

12.25-33 167 

14.  19,30 167 

14.24 86 

14.  25-28 166 

15.  18-20 172 

16.29-33 172 

18.4 175 

18.  17-46 174 

18.30 173 

19.8-14 94 

19.8,  11,  12 185 

19.8-18 106 

19.  14 173 

19.  16 182 

20.  1,34 172 

20.  13-16,22,35-43 174 


INDEX  TO  SCRIPTUEE  PASSAGES 


237 


PAGE 

1  Kings  (continued) 

20.  13-22,  35-43 175 

20.  35-43 183 

21.  1-16,  20 173 

21.  17-20,23 182 

21.  17-24 202 

22.5-28 175 

22.  6-28 174 

22.8 173 

22.  34,  35 172 

2  Kings 

2.3-5 183 

3.4 172 

3.  11,  13-25 183 

4.  38-44 183 

5.  17 93 

6.  1-7 183 

8.  1-6 202 

8.  12 181 

9.  1-6,  22,25 182 

9.  1-6,  11-13,  20,36 179 

9.  11 115 

9.  14-37 213 

9.  15-28,30-37 180 

10.  1-28 181 

10.  10 182 

10.  15 179 

10.  15-17,23,30 183 

10,  21 173 

10.30 213 

10.  32,  33 181 

13.3,7 188 

13.5 181 

13.5,24,  25 189 

14.  23-29 189 

14.  25 191 

15.  8-10,  13,  14,  16,  19,  20, 
25,  29,  30 190 

15.9 213 

15.  29,  30 209 

17.3-6 191 

17.4 213 

17.9-11 86 

20.4 150 

1  Chronicles 

2.  55 183 

2.  11 78 

4.  17 95 


PAGE 

1  Chronicles  (continued) 

8.  34 95 

12.5 95 

23  to  26 139 

Nehemiah 

12.  24 136 

13.  15-22 79 

Psalms 

8 22 

29 87 

51 15 

68.  16 106 

81 105 

81.6,  7 51 

104 87 

132.  17 136 

Proverbs 

25.  1 155 

Isaiah 

1.2 23 

I.  13 78 

6.1-8 24 

II.  16 51 

22.9 136 

28.  23-29 94 

37.35 136 

41.8 24 

42.  1-9 18 

42.5-8 16 

56.  1-7 79 

58.  12-14 79 

Jeremiah 

2.6 51 

3.  16 76 

13.  13 136 

15.  1 112 

16.  14 51 

17.21,  22,24,25 78 

29.26 115 

30.9 136 

32.  2 150 

32.  35 86 

35.  1-11 183 

Ezekiel 

16.  17-19 97 

34.  23 136 

37.24 136 


238 


INDEX  TO  SCEIPTUEE  PASSAGES 


PAGE 

Hosea 

1.2 208 

1.2-9 209 

1.4,5 213 

2.2-13 210 

2.3.8,  9 214 

2.8 212,213 

2.  8,  13,  17 185 

2.8,  14-20 211 

2.8,  14-22 86 

2.  11 78,79,204 

2.  14,  1&-23 215 

2.  14-20 22 

2.  16 95 

2.  19 24 

3.  1-3 209 

3.4 210,213,214 

3.4,5 211 

4.  1,6,  10,  13 214 

4.  1,  10,  13 211 

4.  1,  6,  18 213 

4.4,  5,8,  12,  14 210 

4.  11-14 86,204 

4.  17 212 

4.  18 213 

5.  1 209 

5.  1,  4,  10-14 213 

5.6.9,  14,  15 214 

6.6 212,213,214 

6.8 209 

6.9 210 

7.3-7,  11 213 

7.5 208 

7.9 212 

7.  14 214 

8.3,  14,  17 214 

8.4-6 212 

8.4,9,  10 213 

9.1-9 211 

9.3,4 204 

9.3-6,11,  15 214 

9.7,20 115 

10.  1,6,  12 214 

10.5 212 

10.7 213 

10.14 205 

11.1-3,5,8,11 214 

11.1-4 263 


PAGE 

Hosea  (continued) 

11.2 211,212 

12.  1 213 

12.6,9 214 

12.  10,  13 211 

12.  11 208,209,212 

13.  1,2 212 

13.4 51,211 

13.4,6,8-15 214 

13.6,  10,11 213 

14.2,4 214 

14.3 213 

14.8 212 

15.30 190 

Amos 

1.1 198 

1.2 85 

1.3 188,201 

1.3-5 181 

2.3,6-8,10 202 

2.6,7,8 86,202 

2.7 190 

2.7,8 204 

3.  1 51 

3.1,2,9,10 202 

3.2 203 

3.3-8 199 

3.6,9,  10 190 

3.7,8,  14 205 

3.  12,  15 189 

4.  1 190,202 

4.4 204 

4.4,5 194 

4.6 205 

4.6-11 84 

4.9 189 

5.5,6,  14,  15,21-24 205 

5.7,  12 190 

5.7,10,15 202 

5.  11 189 

5.  18-20 203 

5.21-25 204 

6.  1-7 202 

6.4-6 189 

6.6 190 

6.14 189 

7.1 85 


INDEX  TO  SCRIPTURE  PASSAGES 


239 


PAGE 

Amos  (continued) 

7.9 205 

7.  12,  14,  15 199 

7.  14 198 

7.  17 204 

8.4-6 202 

8.5 78 

8.6 190 

8.9 85 

9.4,7 202 


PAGE 

Amos  (continued) 

9.  6 85 

9.  10 202 

Habakkuk 

3.3 185 

3.3-15 106 

John 

4.21-24 75 

Acts 

7.2-53 16 


Date  Due 

.M^7 

_, 

M^:.^^^:. 

